New Yorkers wake up to the first white Christmas in New York City in 15 years.

The National Weather Service considers it a white Christmas if there is 1 inch or more of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. on Christmas morning. The snow that fell in New York City on Tuesday morning did not melt overnight, leaving 1 inch of snow on the ground in Central Park by 7 a.m. Wednesday.

The Nebraska football team enjoyed a snowball fight in Central Park on Wednesday before appearing in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.

The last white Christmas in New York City was in 2009, when there was 2 inches of snow.

Boston is also having a white Christmas this year with 10 cm of snow on the ground.

Most of this snow will melt slowly as Christmas Day and Thursday will be colder than normal.

Milder weather is expected to set in through the weekend, with temperatures in the 40s in New York and 50s in Chicago.

Meanwhile, the West Coast continues to be hit by an endless series of storms bringing huge waves, strong winds, heavy rain and mountain snow.

Oregon and Washington could experience wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour on Christmas.

River flooding is possible in western Washington and Oregon this week; Some areas could see 6 to 12 inches of rain over the next five days.

A winter storm warning has been issued for the Cascade Mountains in Washington, where up to 3 feet of snow could accumulate over the next 24 to 36 hours. A winter storm warning has been issued for the northern Rockies, including Wyoming and Idaho, where 2 feet of snow is possible over the next two days.

The West Coast’s unusually high waves of 40 to 60 feet have subsided somewhat, but waves reaching 20 to 30 feet were still seen in California on Thursday.

A new wave of severe weather will occur in the south Thursday afternoon and evening, bringing an increased risk of tornadoes, hail and damaging winds. Flash floods are also possible.

Dallas, Houston and Shreveport, Louisiana are all in the path of the storm.