National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Based on records from 1903 to 2023 at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport


Christmas Normals:
  • Average high temperature = 34.1°F
  • Average low temperature = 19.9°F
Christmas Snow:
  • 63% of Christmas days have an inch or more of snow on the ground (or about 3 out of every 5 years)
  • 27% of Christmas days have an inch or more of snowfall (or about 2 in every 7 years)
  • 39% of Christmas days see more than a trace of snowfall (or about 2 out of every 5 years)
Christmas Extremes:
 
Highest Maximum Temperature
  1. 66°F in 1932
  2. 64°F in 1964
  3. 61°F in 1940
  4. 60°F in 1982
  5. 59°F in 2014
  6. 55°F in 1979
  7. 54°F in 2015
  8. 53°F in 2020
  9. 53°F in 1987
  10. 53°F in 1965
Highest Minimum Temperature
  1. 46°F in 1932
  2. 45°F in 1964
  3. 40°F in 2014
  4. 38°F in 1979
  5. 38°F in 1936
  6. 37°F in 1987
  7. 36°F in 1928
  8. 35°F in 1922
  9. 34°F in 1986
  10. 34°F in 1982
Lowest Maximum Temperature
  1. -2°F in 1980
  2. 9°F in 1983
  3. 9°F in 1958
  4. 11°F in 1968
  5. 14°F in 1904
  6. 15°F in 1919
  7. 15°F in 1914
  8. 16°F in 1969
  9. 17°F in 1921
  10. 18°F in 2000
Lowest Minimum Temperature
  1. -22°F in 1980
  2. -3°F in 1983
  3. -3°F in 1969
  4. -3°F in 1958
  5. -2°F in 2013
  6. 0°F in 1914
  7. 1°F in 1948
  8. 2°F in 1999
  9. 2°F in 1947
  10. 2°F in 1920
 
Most Snowfall on Christmas Day
  1. 15.6 inches in 1978
  2. 10.2 inches in 2002
  3. 7.1 inches in 1951
  4. 6.9 inches in 1966
  5. 6.6 inches in 1950
  6. 5.8 inches in 1974
  7. 5.3 inches in 1996
  8. 4.0 inches in 1938
  9. 4.0 inches in 1902
  10. 3.5 inches in 1909
Most Snow on Ground on Christmas Day
  1. 17 inches in 1929
  2. 12 inches in 1978
  3. 12 inches in 1963
  4. 11 inches in 1980
  5. 11 inches in 1951
  6. 10 inches in 1995
  7. 10 inches in 1989
  8. 10 inches in 1973
  9. 10 inches in 1970
  10. 10 inches in 1944
Two-day Snowfall (Christmas Eve /Christmas Day)
  1. 17.5 inches in 1978
  2. 11.4 inches in 2002
  3. 10.0 inches in 1930
  4. 7.9 inches in 1966
  5. 7.7 inches in 1950
  6. 7.1 inches in 1951
  7. 6.7 inches in 1974
  8. 6.5 inches in 1983
  9. 5.8 inches in 1996
  10. 4.9 inches in 1968
Highest Rainfall on Christmas Day
  1. 1.11 inches in 1978
  2. 0.88 inches in 2006
  3. 0.62 inches in 1965
  4. 0.59 inches in 1951
  5. 0.57 inches in 2002
  6. 0.56 inches in 2005
  7. 0.45 inches in 2020
  8. 0.45 inches in 1979
  9. 0.45 inches in 1944
  10. 0.41 inches in 1997