Severe Thunderstorms in the Northeast and Northern Plains; Critical Fire Weather in the West

Scattered severe thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts and hail are forecast across the Northeast U.S. and North Dakota today. Heavy to excessive rainfall is possible over eastern New Mexico into western Texas and over the western Florida peninsula today. Critical fire weather conditions will persist today over parts of the interior Northwest and Great Basin. Read More >

Christmas

PERIOD OF RECORD: 154 YEARS (1871 - 2024)

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; 85 years)

	10s	20s	30s	40s	50s	60s
Number of occurrences	7	20	31	19	6	2
Percentage	8%	24%	36%	22%	7%	2%

Precipitation Data

(since 1940; 85 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	31	28	T	T	4