Snowflakes drifting down on a winter day look like tiny miracles, each one resembling a frozen artwork sculpted by invisible hands, catching the light just right. Through the journey of life, we have seen snowflakes fall in their magical shapes in movies and cartoons on television.

Cold and snowy weather has gripped much of the northern tier of the United States since Thanksgiving, but a pattern change will torch the chance of white Christmas for many.

For the rest of the country, the dream of a white Christmas looks increasingly like a green Christmas reality. A few quick-hitting winter storms may push through the Northeast, dropping snow that could stay on the ground through Christmas, but fresh snow for the holiday is unlikely.

A clipper system tonight into Saturday is expected to bring a widespread 1-3 inches of snow to Upper Michigan. Locally higher amounts are possible in the east.