National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Snow Across the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and Northeast; Unsettled Weather in the West

Light to moderate snow will continue into Saturday over the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and Northeast. This weekend into next week, a series of atmospheric rivers will bring gusty winds, periods of heavy rain, and mountain snow to northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Colder temperatures are in store for the weekend from the Great Lakes to East Coast. Read More >

 

Christmas

     PERIOD OF RECORD:   153 YEARS    (1871 - 2023)

 

Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. The highest temperature recorded on Christmas is 66F degrees in 1982. The lowest the mercury has fallen to on Christmas is -12F in 1980. The high temperature averages 36F degrees and the low 21F degrees on Christmas.

The greatest precipitation recorded on Christmas Day was 1.49 inches, which fell as a mixture of rain and snow in 1978. The 18.0 inches of snow measured in this Christmas storm of 1978 was also the greatest snow for Christmas Day. 

Historically, there is a 56 percent chance of a white Christmas (an inch or more of snow on the ground) since snow depth records started in 1926.

 

 

 

Temperature (F) Data

 

Highest

66 1982

Lowest

-12 1980

Highest Minimum

49 1932

Lowest Maximum

4 1872

Average High

36  

Average Low

21  

 

 

 

     HIGH TEMPERATURE (F)  BY 10 DEGREE RANGES

(since 1940; 84 years)

 

  10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s
Number of occurrences 7 20 30 19 6 2
Percentage 8% 24% 36% 23% 7% 2%

 

 

   

Precipitation Data

(since 1940; 84 years)

 

Number of times 0.01" or greater:

49

Number of times 0.10" or greater:

17

Number of times 0.50" or greater:

7

 

 

 

 

Precipitation Records

 

Greatest Precipitation
 

1.49" 1978
Greatest Snow 18.0 1978

 

 

 

Almanac Data for Recent Christmas Days

 

Year High Low Precip Snow Snow Depth
1980
17 -12 0.03 0.8 9
1981
35 24 0.00 0.0 2
1982
66 47 0.19 0.0 0
1983
11 1 0.09 1.4 4
1984
29 16 0.03 0.3 T
           
1985 18 7 T T 3
1986 41 34 0.02 0.0 0
1987 51 36 0.03 0.0 0
1988 37 26 T T 0
1989 20 16 0.02 0.5 7
           
1990 27 12 T T 2
1991 31 12 T 0.1 2
1992 38 12 0.03 0.5 3
1993 24 14 T 0.1 1
1994 47 27 0.00 0.0 0
           
1995 30 24 0.07 1.4 7
1996 25 18 0.07 1.4 T
1997 44 34 0.05 0.0 0
1998 27 14 0.01 0.2 T
1999 27 10 T 0.5 2
           
2000 14 9 0.07 3.0 2
2001 32 26 T T 0
2002 29 25 0.84 12.3 3
2003 37 29 0.03 0.5 0
2004 20 10 0.00 0.0 T
           
2005 43 31 0.12 0.0 T
2006 49 31 0.59 0.0 0
2007 34 26 T T 1
2008 40 29 T 0.2 3
2009 39 23 0.41 0.0 1
           
2010 26 19 0.01 0.2 4
2011 47 26 0.02 T 0
2012 31 29 0.02 0.3 2
2013 26 4 0.00 0.0 2
2014 52 40 0.02 0.0 0
           
2015 50 33 0.03 0.0 0
2016 37 24 0.00 0.0 3
2017 34 17 0.06 1.0 6
2018 35 30 0.02 0.4 2
2019 48 24 0.00 0.0 0
           
2020 37 23 0.28 0.3 0
2021 49 38 0.47 0.0 T
2022 21 12 0.02 0.6 1
2023 57 40 0.00 0.0 0
2024