Linda Lam
Examples of some of the extreme weather that has been observed in the U.S. on Christmas.While many hope for a white Christmas each year, the range of weather that has been observed on the holiday may surprise you.
(MORE: White Christmas Forecast)
One of the coldest Christmases on record for areas east of the Rockies was in 1983, courtesy of very strong arctic high pressure that moved into the central and eastern U.S. In 1980, record cold was experienced in the Northeast while record warmth was observed in the West. Areas in the South and mid-Atlantic saw warm Christmases in 2015 and 2016.
Below, we take a closer look at some of these extreme weather conditions recorded on Christmas in each region of the U.S.
Northeast
Many cities in the Northeast have recorded subzero temperatures on Christmas. Several locations set record lows and record-cold highs in 1980, including Burlington, Vermont, which only saw a high of 5 degrees below zero. New York City saw temperatures drop to 1 degree below zero in 1980.
Another very cold December 25, which remains the record-coldest Christmas for many locations in the Northeast, is 1983. Pittsburgh recorded a low of 12 degrees below zero on Christmas 1983. Although the cold-temperature records in Boston were set in the 1800s, a low of 7 degrees below zero was observed in 1980 while the high in 1983 was only 10 degrees.
The snowiest Christmas on record was in 2002 in Buffalo, New York, which saw 8.4 inches of snow. The most snow that fell on Christmas was in 1909 in both New York City (7 inches) and Philadelphia (5.5 inches).
When looking at the most snow on the ground on Christmas, both Caribou, Maine, and Burlington, Vermont, have recorded more than 30 inches. The record snow depth in Boston on Christmas is 11 inches in 1995 and 7 inches in Washington D.C. in 2009.
Temperatures have also been mild on Christmas, with record highs in the mid-60s for Boston, Buffalo and Pittsburgh while Washington D.C. reached 72 degrees on Christmas 1964.
South
The South, of course, has also seen warm Christmases. Tampa and Miami both recorded highs in the mid-80s on Christmas 2016. Dallas (80 degrees) and Nashville (76 degrees) also set daily record highs in 2016.
Numerous cities set records for the warmest Christmas in 2015. This includes Atlanta, Charleston, South Carolina, Orlando, New Orleans and Houston.
Perhaps surprisingly, it has also been quite cold in the South on Christmas, especially in 1983, when most of the region's cold-temperature records for Christmas were set. Nashville recorded a low of 5 degrees below zero while Memphis and Atlanta saw the temperature drop to 0 degrees in 1983.
Record-cold high temperatures were also set in 1983. Dallas only saw a high of 18 degrees, and temperatures only reached the upper 20s in Houston and New Orleans. Tampa and Orlando only saw temperatures climb to 38 degrees and 36 degrees, respectively.
Snow has been measured on Christmas in parts of the South. Both Atlanta (1.3 inches) and Raleigh (0.4 inches) recorded snow in 2010 while Dallas measured 0.4 inches of snow in 2012. Memphis saw 3.5 inches of snow in 1913, and Nashville recorded 2.4 inches in 1969.
Midwest
Brutally cold conditions occur at times in the Plains and Midwest. The coldest Christmas in Minneapolis was in 1879, when a low of 29 degrees below zero occurred, and Bismarck recorded a low of 35 below zero in 1884.
As mentioned, many cold-temperature records in the Midwest and Plains were set in 1983, when lows dropped below zero for most of the region. Omaha, Nebraska, recorded a low of 17 below zero, and St. Louis saw a low of 13 degrees below zero. The high temperature in Chicago only reached 5 below zero while Indianapolis saw a high of 4 below zero.
Snow is not unusual in this region, and in 2016, Bismarck measured 10.5 inches on Christmas. The snowiest Christmas in Cleveland was 2002, when 10.2 inches of snow fell. In 2009, Kansas City saw 3.3 inches of snow while Omaha received 5.8 inches.
When looking at how much snow has been on the ground on Christmas, 20 inches is the record in Minneapolis (1983) while Chicago had 17 inches of snow on the ground in 1951. The snow-depth record in Detroit, Cleveland, Bismarck and Omaha is 13 inches.
Mild conditions have also been observed on Christmas. Many locations in the region have seen temperatures reach the mid-60s while St. Louis set a record high of 71 degrees in 1889.
West
Given the wide range of elevations and climate influences, the West has experienced a variety of weather conditions on Christmas.
Several cities recorded their warmest Christmas in 1980, including Los Angeles (85 degrees), Phoenix (78 degrees), Portland, Oregon (64 degrees), and Seattle (60 degrees).
Several locations have also seen lows drop below zero, including Denver, Billings, Montana, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The high temperature in Billings in 1996 was only 6 degrees below zero.
As expected, the higher elevations have seen snowfall on Christmas. Salt Lake City recorded 9 inches of snow in 1916 while Denver measured 7.4 inches in 2007. The record in Denver for most snow on the ground is 2 feet in 1982, and Seattle measured 4 inches on the ground in 2008.
Farther west, the record snow depths in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Anchorage, Alaska, are 39 inches and 30 inches, respectively.
Unsurprisingly, the coldest conditions on Christmas in the U.S. have been observed in Alaska. The coldest Christmas on record in Fairbanks and Anchorage is 1961. The high that year in Fairbanks was only 50 degrees below zero, and Anchorage saw a low of 25 degrees below zero.
Meanwhile in Hawaii, Honolulu typically sees a warm Christmas, and the warmest on record was 1995, when a high of 86 was recorded. The coldest low temperature in Honolulu on Christmas was 59 degrees (in 1978).
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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