New Year’s Eve Forecast: What To Expect As We Bid Farewell To 2025 And Say Hello To 2026
- - New Year’s Eve Forecast: What To Expect As We Bid Farewell To 2025 And Say Hello To 2026
Sara Tonks December 31, 2025 at 5:40 PM
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Well, it’s almost time to say goodbye to 2025 (and its weather), as New Year’s Eve is approaching. Here’s what the weather will be up to as the ball drops across the country.
New Year’s Eve (Day)
New Year’s Eve during the day is the perfect time to get in place for your plans for the big moment (whether that be driving to visit family or into the city).
There will be a pair of trouble spots across the country.
1. Light to moderate snow is expected to sweep through the Midwest into parts of the interior Northeast. Heavier lake-effect snowbands are expected in the eastern Great Lakes snowbelts. This could lead to snow-covered, slippery roads from parts of Minnesota around the Great Lakes to western Pennsylvania, western, central and upstate New York.
2. Rain will increase once again from California into parts of the Desert Southwest, including L.A, San Diego, the Bay Area and Las Vegas. While this rain won't be as heavy as the Christmas event, locally heavy rain in some spots plus a waterlogged state could trigger additional flash flooding.
Highs will continue to be well above average in the Rockies and much of the Plains, including Dallas and Denver. But it will remain seasonably chilly in parts of the Midwest and Northeast.
(MAPS: 10-Day US Forecast Highs/Lows)
New Year’s Eve (Night)
I know what you probably care most about is the weather at 12 a.m. on New Year’s Day, the moment 2025 becomes 2026.
Snow is going to be moving through the Northeast, especially in the Appalachians and Great Lakes snowbelts. There could even be a few flakes in southern New England and in parts of the New York City Tri-state area, especially later in the evening and into the overnight hours. So, watch for some slippery roads if you're driving home from your New Year's party.
If you’re going to be in New York City for the big New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square, you’re going to need to be bundled up, because it’ll be hovering right around 30 degrees and breezy as that time-honored tradition takes place.
It will also be quite cold in the upper Midwest, with temperatures flirting with 0 degrees in the Twin Cities as 2026 arrives.
Unfortunately, another holiday will be soaked in California. Locally heavy rain, especially in Southern California, could lead to at least local flash flooding and possibly more rock/landslides. Rain will also spread into the Desert Southwest, potentially soaking 2026's arrival in both Las Vegas and Phoenix.
(192-hours: Further beef up your forecast with our detailed, hour-by-hour breakdown for the next 8 days – only available on our Premium Pro experience.)
New Year’s Day
Hello, 2026! What will Mother Nature have in store for us?
It will be cold and breezy in the Northeast and Great Lakes, with only a few patchy areas of snow in the northern and eastern Great Lakes. A heavy lake-effect snowband off Lake Ontario may continue to pound parts of upstate New York north of Syracuse.
The South will have pleasant weather and warmer than average temperatures, for the most part, after a chilly morning.
Rain and high mountain snow will continue to soak much of the Southwest, Great Basin, California and Oregon. Scattered storms and locally heavy rain looks likely across Southern California early Thursday morning. The Storm Prediction Center has introduced a marginal severe risk for Southern California, which includes a low-end tornado threat for Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, Anaheim and Pasadena. The Rose Parade, which begins at 8 a.m. PT in Pasadena, looks wet and potentially stormy.
(MORE: The Rose Parade Could Be Wet For The First Time In 20 Years)
Wherever you’ll be spending your New Year’s Eve, we hope you have a safe and festive end to 2025!
Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with weather.com and has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences along with a master’s degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
