A white Christmas in the nation’s capital?

 

December 2017 snowfall, Germantown, MD (Photo Credit: Susan Granzow)

Although Washington, D.C. averages 1.7” of December snowfall, longtime Washingtonians know just how rare snow on Christmas Day is. Areas farther north and west of the immediate D.C. Metro Area have considerably higher odds of seeing a white Christmas.  The National Weather Service officially defines a “White Christmas” as “…at least 1 inch of snow being on the ground at 7 a.m. on December 25.”

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 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 Day, 7” remained on the ground, creating D.C.’s last official White Christmas.

On the other hand, it has actually snowed on Christmas Day only nine times since 1884. The last time was on December 25, 2002, with 0.2”. More recently, snow flurries occurred in the nation’s capital on December 25, 2020, but that didn’t meet NOAA’s official definition of a “White Christmas.”

Rainfall is more common on Christmas Day. D.C. residents have had measurable precipitation of any kind on December 25 a total of 55 times, dating back to 1871. The most recent Christmas in the nation’s capital with measurable rainfall was in 2021 with 0.07”.

D.C.’s average high and low temperatures on Christmas Day are 47°/33°. 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, D.C.’s warmest Christmas on record was in 1964 (72°). More recently, D.C. residents had a high temperature of 68° on December 25, 2021, which tied with 1932 for fourth warmest Christmas. Last Christmas was also mild with a high/low of 61°/40° at National Airport. Two of the last three December’s have ranked among the Top 5 warmest on record in the nation’s capital.

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

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

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

1. 72° (1964)
2. 70° (1982)
3. 69° (2015, 1965)
4. 68° (2021, 1932)
5. 65° (1893, 1889)

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

1. 3° (1983)
2. 5° (1872)
3. 11° (1989)
4. 12° (1980)
5. 13° (1906)