Stafford County has canceled its annual Christmas tree lighting, scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2025, due to winter weather moving into the region.
County officials announced the decision Friday afternoon, telling residents, “Due to inclement weather, the Stafford County Tree Lighting has been canceled. We thank you for your understanding. Please stay weather aware.” The announcement was shared on social media, including the county’s Facebook page.
The Christmas tree lighting is held at the George L. Gordon Jr. Government Center on Courthouse Road. The free event serves as Stafford’s official kickoff to the season and routinely attracts several hundred families.
Most years, the celebration opens just before sunset with the arrival of Santa Claus and the Grinch aboard a Stafford County fire engine. Local school choirs, bands, and dance groups perform throughout the evening, while families line up for photos, crafts, hot cocoa, and desserts from area food trucks. County leaders usually lead the countdown to the 7 p.m. lighting of the community Christmas tree.
Light snow is expected through midday as a low-pressure system passes south of the region, bringing a sharp north–south gradient in snowfall, with the heaviest accumulations along the Interstate 64 corridor and into far southern Maryland.
Areas north of Interstate 66 may see little more than a coating as dry air continues to limit snow expansion. At the same time, locations to the south could pick up 2 to 3 inches before precipitation tapers to light freezing drizzle around lunchtime.
Temperatures will struggle to escape the low to mid-30s, making today the coldest day of the season so far, with clouds dominating except for a chance of late-day clearing in the Shenandoah Valley.
Tonight, lingering low clouds and patchy fog could create pockets of freezing fog as lows fall into the upper teens and 20s, prompting motorists and pedestrians to use caution on untreated surfaces.
