About 10 million people were affected by winter weather warnings Monday in the Great Lakes regions and the Northeast, where some residents may wake up to a white Christmas.

“Much of the East Coast region will have a very cold start to the holiday week on Monday, with an Arctic surface high slowly moving eastward across the region,” the National Weather Service said in a statement Monday.

According to the weather service, Sunday was “the coldest morning of the season so far” for many mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. It should also be frosty again on Monday, although a little milder than on Sunday.

There was already snow in the Northeast over the weekend, and more snow is forecast. Light snow is possible in New York City on Tuesday, while conditions are expected to worsen in the north with a layer of ice and 2 to 6 inches of snow from the Great Lakes to Maine.

Cities like New York, Boston, Chicago and Detroit are likely to be hardest hit.

But the question remains: Can residents expect a white Christmas?

The requirement for a white Christmas is a ground depth of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm), which is unlikely in New York City, but other locations in the region may see snow showers on Christmas Eve. The heavier snow is expected in the interior Northeast and Maine.

However, there is one thing that residents of the Northeast and Midwest can expect with certainty: a cold Christmas.