White Christmas might materialize

'Tis the season for changing weather, but whether that means a white Christmas in lower elevations is iffy.

Back-to-back systems that are predicted to bring precipitation this weekend should present a reasonable chance of a white holiday, said Robin Fox, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

However, whether that precipitation sticks around is the question.

"We should get snow beforehand, but we'll see if we can hold on to it," Fox said.

She said tonight's system into Sunday could drop an inch and a half to 2 inches in the Coeur d'Alene area. The mountain passes in North Idaho could see 3 to 4 inches.

Another system Sunday night into Monday could produce an inch in lower elevations and 2 inches on the passes.

However, with temperatures on Monday expecting to reach the upper 30s, much of that snow could turn to slush in the lower elevations.

"As we get into Christmas Day, snow showers will continue in the mountains and there will be rain-snow mixed in the valleys," Fox said. "Through the middle of the week it will stay unsettled and we may get a little break next weekend."

Skiers should celebrate the weather for the next week, she said.

"The mountains are going to get snow," she said.

Meanwhile, tonight there will be a full moon known as the "full cold moon." It comes the day after winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

Winter solstice occurs when the North Pole has its farthest tilt of 23.5 degrees away from the sun.

The next time the full moon and solstice will come so close together is in 2029.

With winter solstice now past, daylight will increase for the next six months.