Greenwood Area Christmas Day Climatology

Greenwood Area

High Temperature

Location	Normal	Warmest Years	Coldest Years
Greenwood	52.4°F	79°F (2015) 79°F (1982) 77°F (1987) 75°F (2016) 74°F (1964)	16°F (1983) 27°F (1985) 35°F (2004) 35°F (1980) 39°F (2001/2000)

Low Temperature

Location	Normal	Warmest Years	Coldest Years
Greenwood	34.5°F	66°F (1982) 64°F (2015) 58°F (2016) 56°F (1955) 54°F (1951)	5°F (1983) 13°F (1985) 17°F (2004) 19°F (1990) 22°F (2003/1980/1966)

Location	Wettest Years	Years With Measurable Precipitation/Total Years
Greenwood	4.07" (1982) 1.57" (2012) 1.34" (1951) 1.24" (2015) 1.22" (1969)	19/68 (28%)

1982 - Around 2pm, severe thunderstorm winds destroyed a camper trailer by lifting it over the corner of a house and dropping it in the backyard. In addition, several windows in cars and windows were blown out by the storm.
1983 - Extreme cold gripped the Deep South. Four people died in the state of Mississippi as a result of exposure.
1989 - A cold wave affected the Deep South, with the coldest air occurring during the days leading up to Christmas. The low temperatures caused water lines to freeze and break across the area.
2015 - Strong thunderstorm winds blew down a tree on US Highway 51 near Duck Hill. Several roads in Carroll County were flooded during the morning.

It goes without saying, the probability of experiencing a White Christmas in central Mississippi is very, very low. However, locales in the Greenwood area have seen at least one White Christmas over the last century, and a few areas have seen two or three. The map below from the National Climatic Data Center shows the probability of seeing a White Christmas based on past Christmas weather conditions. To qualify as an official White Christmas the snow depth must be at least one inch on Christmas Day. The snowfall does not necessarily need to occur on Christmas Day.

Below is a listing of past White Christmases and a few close calls.

1913 - Rain on Christmas Eve night changed over to light snow on Christmas morning in many locations. Generally, the snow melted on contact, thus it was not an official White Christmas. A trace of snow was reported at Grenada, Duck Hill, Kosciusko, and Tchula.
1929 - Between December 21st and 23rd, a significant winter storm dropped 6 to 10 inches of snow across north central Mississippi, with 9" reported at Greenwood, 8" at Kosciusko, 7.3" reported at Shellmound, and 6.5" reported at Grenada. Temperatures were cold enough over the following days to allow some snow to stay on the ground through Christmas Day. Limited snow depth information is available from Christmas Day, but Shellmound reported 1" still on the ground, and Kosciusko reported a half inch still on the ground. So, even though most of the snow had melted, it was officially a White Christmas for part of the area.
1935 - From December 21st into December 22nd, 2 to 4 inches of snow fell across the area. During the following days, warmer temperatures melted this snow fairly quickly. Though most of the snow was gone by Christmas Day, trace amounts of snow were still on the ground in a few areas including Kosciusko. In addition some sleet fell on Christmas Day at Kosciusko and Duck Hill.
1962 - A very light wintry mix of drizzle, sleet, snow, and freezing rain was reported on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There were no accumulations in the Greenwood area. Because the precipitation was very light, there were no significant issues across the area.
1963 - A winter storm brought 2 to 5 inches of snow, sleet, and freezing rain to north central Mississippi from December 21st through the 23rd. Travel was significantly impacted across the region. The weight of the snow, sleet, and ice did considerable damage to trees, utility lines, and collapsed a number of metal business and residential canopies. Following the storm, bitterly cold temperatures with lows in the single digits allowed the icy to linger through Christmas Day, making 1963 a white Christmas for the Greenwood area. Reports indicate 1 to 2 inches of snow was still on the ground Christmas morning in this area. Christmas Day snow depth reports include 2" at Grenada, 2" at Elliott, and 1" at Winona.
1990 - A light wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow flurries occurred on December 23rd through early Christmas Eve. A few locations reported very light accumulations lingering into Christmas including Grenada and Winona.
1998 - Though it wasn't a White Christmas in the classical sense, it probably looked like one in many areas. A crippling ice storm impacted the region throughout the Christmas holiday, with freezing rain and sleet occurring from the evening of December 22nd through Christmas Eve. Up to two inches of ice and sleet accumulated in north central Mississippi. Damage to power lines was moderate to severe, and power outages lasted for several days across the area. In addition, holiday travel was severely hampered.
2010 - Off and on rain showers became sleet and snow showers across parts of the area on Christmas Day. Though it didn't snow enough for significant accumulations, some locations such as Kilmichael and Kosciusko received a dusting of snow.

*Indicates data from a COOP station. While data from primary climate sites is based on information ending at midnight, most COOP observations are taken between 6 am and 8 am. As a result, high temperatures are usually indicative of the high from the previous day. Low temperatures may be indicative of the low from either the current day or the day before. This is the reason there are some discrepancies between these sites and midnight-to-midnight observing sites.