Northern U.S. states and higher elevations have the best chances of a white Christmas, while southern and western areas are far less likely to see snow this year.

Now, the National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center expects a high chance of above-average temperatures for much of the U.S. over Christmas, with the highest possibilities expected in the Plains states, the South, and into the Midwest. Most of these states also are expecting below-average precipitation during the same time frame.

The Callifornia Highway Patrol warned drivers to be cautious because "'making memories’ shouldn’t include us pulling you out of a snowbank."

This year is expected to be the busiest on record for holiday travel, but rough weather can make getting to your Christmas destination even harder.

Severe storms across the United States during the Christmas holiday caused widespread travel disruption, with more than 1,800 flights cancelled and thousands delayed. Meanwhile, catastrophic flooding in California has claimed at least three lives,

Merry Christmas!! It’s a green Christmas, and we’re green on the threat tracker. But that won’t be the case tomorrow as we are tracking widespread snowfall that will have an impact on travel.Temperatures today will reach the mid to upper 30s amid mostly cloudy skies.

A California storm on Christmas Eve caused flooding and mudslides, and prompted evacuations, power outages, and travel warnings as heavy rains hit the region.