When was the last white Christmas in my city?
According to Climate Central analysis, parts of Idaho, Minnesota, Maine and Upstate New York as well communities in the Allegheny, Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains annually have the best chances of seeing a snowy Christmas. Meteorological winter, which runs from December through February, is the fastest-warming season across the country and has warmed by an average of 0.61 °F every decade.
See the warm weather pattern that will dominate the holidays
Instead of record lows, record highs will be challenged during the Christmas holiday week.
For many, the holiday season is synonymous with a fresh blanket of snow, but such occurrences are quite rare in many cities across the country.
A white Christmas is officially defined by the National Weather Service as a community having at least one inch of snow on the ground during the morning hours of Dec. 25.
On average, only about a third of the Lower 48 has snow on the ground on Christmas Day, but this figure has steadily dropped over recent years.
In 2003, only 18% of the contiguous U.S. had snow on the ground on Christmas Day, but that figure was a remarkable 53% in 2022.
For areas in Idaho, Minnesota, Maine and Upstate New York, chances are usually the highest in the country, with communities nestled in the Allegheny, Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains also seeing their share of Christmas snowfall.
The historical probability of a white Christmas. (FOX Weather)
According to a Climate Central analysis, winters are warming at a steady rate of 0.61 °F per decade across the country, which in turn is limiting chances of snowfall, especially during the early and late parts of the season.
The rise might not seem significant, but when a storm system has plenty of moisture and a lack of cold air, the precipitation has a better chance of falling as rain versus any type of significant snowfall event.
So, when was the last white Christmas in your city?
For some, it might have been decades ago, while others saw a significant storm system in 2022.
Below is a list of how major metros have fared in seeing a white Christmas.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS?
Northeast
- Boston: 2009
- New York: 2009
- Baltimore: 2009
- Philadelphia: 2009
- Pittsburgh: 2022
Midwest
- Cleveland: 2022
- Cincinnati: 2022
- Chicago: 2022
- Minneapolis: 2022
- Kansas City: 2022
- St. Louis: 2022
South
- Nashville: 2010
- Atlanta: 2010
- Charlotte: 2010
- Jacksonville: 1989
- Houston: 1989
- Dallas: 2012
- Oklahoma City: 2009
West
- Denver: 2022
- Seattle: 2017
HOW WEATHER IMPACTS CHRISTMAS LIGHT DISPLAYS
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 17: A young boy crafts a snowman on the first snowfall of the year December 17, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Some cities in warm weather zones have never seen snowfall around Dec. 25 but have seen flakes during other periods.
Ingredients such as moisture and unusually cold must align in order for some communities in the West and Florida to become the recipients of snowfall.
Major cities that have never had a white Christmas:
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- San Diego
- Las Vegas
- Phoenix
- Miami
- Orlando