National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce
Christmas Climate for La Crosse

A few weather facts about Christmas day in La Crosse. Precipitation is recorded in inches. Records date back to 1872 (except for snowfall which is 1893). Snow on the ground is at 6 am.

Temperature

Normal High: 27
Normal Low: 11
Record High: 55 (1936)
Record Low: -26 (2000, 1879)
Lowest High: -11 (1884)
Highest Low: 50 (2023)

Precipitation

Record: 1.61 (1895)
Record Snowfall 5.4 (1950)
Record Snow on the Ground 19 (2010)

 

Number of times with a trace or more of snowfall: 64
Number of times with measurable (over a trace) of snowfall: 34
Number of times with an inch or more of snowfall: 14
Climatological chance for a trace or more of snowfall: 49%
Climatological chance for measurable (over a trace) of snowfall: 26%
Climatological chance of an inch or more of snowfall: 11%
Number of times with an inch or more of snow on the ground: 89
Climatological chance of an inch or more on the ground: 68%

 


With a "white" Christmas generally considered an inch of snow on the ground (or an inch falling that day), La Crosse has had "white" Christmases 91 times since 1893, or 69% of the time (out of 131 years). The last non-white Christmas was 2023. It was very warm that December, one of the warmest on record. Highs that Christmas day reached 54 degrees – just missing the record – but did set a record high low at 50.  Not only was it very mild, it rained that day. Obviously, no snow on the ground.   

Non-"white" Christmases: 1894, 1896, 1907, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1917, 1918, 1922, 1923, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1953, 1960, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021

Both 1957 (2.5") and 1964 (3.1") had no snow on the ground at 6 AM, but picked up over an inch of snow during the day; thus, they are considered a white Christmas.