White Christmas? Try these 5 major U.S. cities

AccuWeather is predicting the five major U.S. cities most likely to see a white Christmas, based on 30 years of NOAA weather data.

1. Minneapolis (77 percent chance)

2. Denver (50 percent chance)

3. (tie) Milwaukee (47 percent chance)

3. (tie) Detroit (47 percent chance)

3. (tie) Buffalo (47 percent chance)

The northernmost states in the Lower 48 are most likely to get a Christmas snowfall, from eastern Montana to the Great Lakes to upstate New York and the northern half of New England.

One factor is the proximity to water -- the "lake effect" that provides the moist air necessary for substantial snowfall when the air temperature drops to freezing or below freezing.

Another factor ground temperature: If the ground is frozen -- 32 degrees or colder -- fallen snow won't melt as readily.

The photo at the top of this post? A Milwaukeean stands on a picnic table at the Lake Michigan lakefront to get a better view of winter waves crashing toward the beach. The photo was taken in early December 2011, in advance of a snow storm.

Beech Mountain slopes open for season this weekend on 'White Friday'

A weather system dropping snow in Western Carolina on Wednesday afternoon -- and tapering off Thanksgiving Day -- will add more than half a foot to the snow cover on Beech Mountain, north of Banner Elk.

Combined with human-made snow, it's enough to begin the winter season at Beech Mountain Resort on Friday. Operating hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The ski resort is off N.C. 184. Improvements there this 47th season include a "magic carpet" conveyer lift added to the beginner slope and an upgrade of snowmaking capacity, with seven new high-tech snow guns. Also, the View Haus cafeteria has been remodeled and there's new rental ski equipment.

The  Burton Learn-to-Ride Center for snowboarders debuts in early December in the ski village at the base of the slopes.

The photo by James Foley at the top of this post shows the top of Beech Mountain.

Resort details: www.BeechMountainResort.com.