WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioWhite Christmas possible for northern Ohio

CLEVELAND (AP) - Government climate watchers say northern Ohio has at least a 50% chance of a white Christmas.

That's despite rain and above-freezing temperatures on Monday, to start the week leading up to the holiday.

A link to a National Climatic Data Center study on the website of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer shows Toledo has a 57% chance of having at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. The agency says odds are 50-50 of at least an inch of white for Cleveland and Youngstown.

A white Christmas is less likely in other Ohio cities, ranging from a 47% chance for Mansfield to 23% for Columbus and only 11% in Cincinnati.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.