Winter Storm Warning, Advisory in effect for most of Mass. through Christmas morning

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for Middlesex County, plus parts of Worcester County, and northwest Massachusetts into New Hampshire and Vermont.

Many other parts of Massachusetts are under a Winter Weather Advisory.

Those events are scheduled from Sunday at 10 p.m. until Christmas Day at 1 p.m.

Our Boston 25 StormTracker weather team expects a coating to 2” along the immediate coast and interior southeast Mass., 3-6” possible just away from the coast to 495 and south of the Pike into northern RI and CT. And there will be some areas that could see over 6”, likely northwest of 495 into NH and VT.

Areas up north such as Maine, Vermont and upstate New York are likely to be hit with more snowfall as it will stay all snow.

Several inches of snow are expected to start accumulating on Christmas morning, turning road conditions slippery for Christmas Day travelers.

The storm is expected depart the area by the afternoon. It will remain breezy and cold with a potential for freezing.

Our Boston 25 StormTracker meteorologists are predicting that some parts of Massachusetts and most of northern New England will have a classic "white Christmas" this year.

New Englanders are used to winter weather, but holiday snow is more rare than you might think.

It's been 15 years since we've had measurable snowfall on Christmas Day in Boston. Flurries were spotted in the city back in 2013, but it was only trace amounts. The year before, less than half an inch fell in 2012.

The definition of a “white Christmas” is for an inch or more of snow to be on the ground by 7 a.m. on Dec. 25.

Now back in 2009, while it didn't snow on Christmas Day, we did have 4” of snow on the ground from a previous storm. This was our last “White Christmas” in Boston.

The last time the city had snow falling on Christmas Day was 2002. 3.3" fell that day - which is the record for snow on Christmas Day in Boston.

This year, more than that may fall in parts of the area. There will be a rain/snow line that may limit higher accumulations at the coast, including the city of Boston.

Cox Media Group