Is a White Christmas Rare in DC ?

 

There are two ways you can have a White Christmas: fresh snowfall on Christmas Day or the remains of a previous snowfall.  The National Weather Service defines a “White Christmas” as having “…at least 1 inch of snow being on the ground on December 25.”  Areas farther north and west of the DC Metro Area have considerably higher odds of seeing a white Christmas.  However, longtime Washingtonians know snow is rare on Christmas Day.  That’s despite the fact that December as a whole averages 2.3” of snow.  

Since 1884, Washington, D.C. has had measurable snowfall on Christmas Day only nine times or roughly every 15 years.  The last time was on December 25, 2002 when there was 0.2”.  Meanwhile, the last time Washingtonians had snow on the ground on Christmas Day was in 2009.  That’s because the Nation’s Capital had its largest December snowfall on record just the week before.  A total of 16.4” was measured at National Airport on December 18-19, 2009.  Although more than half had melted by Christmas, 7” remained on the ground, creating DC’s last official white Christmas.

The average high and low temperatures in Washington, D.C. on December 25 are 44°/30°.  The coldest Christmas Day in Washington, D.C. occurred in 1983 with high/low temperatures of 14°/3°.  The last time temperatures remained below freezing on Christmas was in 2000 when the high temperature was only 28°.  By comparison, DC’s warmest Christmas on record was in 1964 (72°).  More recently, DC residents had a high temperature of 69° on December 25, 2015 that tied with 1965 for third warmest Christmas.  Such temperatures are more common in late April and early May.

Precipitation of any kind, including rainfall, is much more common on Christmas Day.  DC residents have had measurable precipitation on December 25 a total of 53 times, dating back to 1871.  The most recent rainy Christmas in the Nation’s Capital occurred in 2015.  Last Christmas was a dry day in the DC Metro Area with a high temperature of 49°.

Winter weather enthusiasts may wonder if a warmer than average December is a reliable indicator of what kind of weather will ensue in January.  The short answer is no.  For example, December 2015 finished as DC’s warmest on record but gave way to a colder and snowier than average January.  December 2013 was also warmer than average, but the 2013-2014 winter finished as both a colder and snowier than average winter.  On the other hand, longtime Washingtonians may recall that December 2002 was both colder and snowier than average as part of the epic 2002-2003 winter that finished tied for DC’s seventh snowiest on record.

 

Washington, D.C.’s Snowiest Christmas Day’s  (Source: NOAA)

1.  5.4”  (1962)
2.  4.5”  (1909)
3.  4.3”  (1969)
4.  1.0”  (1902)
5.  0.6”  (1935)

 

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“White” Christmas’ in D.C. during the Last 30 years 

1.  2009
2.  2002
3.  1993
4.  1989