Some of the Most Unusual White Christmas Events Over History

A white Christmas is a rarity for most places of the U.S. Most meteorologists define a white Christmas as one with at least one inch of snow covering the ground when the sun rises on Christmas morning. This December has featured frequent bouts of Arctic air, raising the hopes of some Americans that Christmas will turn into a winter wonderland. Even with the persistent surge of cold air and wintry precipitation as of late, the current snow cover map across the U.S. is rather spotty.

While some of the mountainous regions and northern reaches of the country can count on a magical snowy Christmas, most areas are not as lucky. However, every now and then, Mother Nature sends the flakes flying in unexpected places. Here is a look back at some of the most unlikely places to see snow on the holiday over the past several years.

Southern Blizzard - 2009

Oklahoma City has had its fair share of wintry weather over the years but nothing compared to the Christmas of 2009 when a whopping 13.5 inches of snow leveled the city. In addition to the heavy snow, the blizzard conditions produced wind gusts of over 60 mph.

Will Rogers Airport was forced to close due to the conditions, stranding both travelers and workers. Local officials declared a state of emergency as long swaths of interstates 35, 40, and 44 were closed as the snow piled up and drifted.

The line of snow generated by this blizzard crept as far south as Dallas. The metroplex reported 3 inches of snow, good enough to deliver the first white Christmas Eve. The Dallas area also saw its first white Christmas since 1926. Heading to the northwest of Fort Worth, the community of Montague County saw snow hit levels of 9 inches. Winds gusts clocking in at speeds of 65 mph sent snow drifting to up to 5 feet.

The blizzard conditions were not confined to Oklahoma and Texas. Forecasters note that nearly 1,200 miles of area from the Plains to Canada were dealing with a blizzard warning on Christmas Eve.

This active winter weather pattern meant that a massive 63% of the Lower 48 states enjoyed a snowy Christmas Day. This ended up being the most prominent blanket of snow for the holiday since 2003.

South Texas - 2004

The South Texas city of Brownsville saw its first measurable snow since February 1895 on Christmas Day in 2004. The border town saw 1.5 inches of snow fall across the region.

This did not compare to the 12.5 inches of snow that swirled around Victoria, Texas at the same time. The beach town of Corpus Christi measured 4.4 inches while the southern suburbs of Houston recorded snowfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches. Meanwhile, both Jamaica beach and Galveston Island picked up 4 inches of snow.

Pacific Northwest - 2008

Despite its northern location, the proximity to the warm ocean waters of the Pacific translates to a moderate climate for most of the coastal Northwest. This temperate climate means that major cities such as Seattle and Portland rarely pick up measurable snow as the warmer temperatures means that moisture generally falls as rain.

For instance, Seattle only averages snowfall of 6 to 7 inches per year. The nearby Cascade Mountains located about an hour east of the metro area typically picks up snowfall measured in feet.

This all changed in late December of 2008 when a cold air mass dove down from Canada and anchored itself over the Pacific Northwest for nearly two weeks just in time for the holidays. The Emerald City saw almost 14 inches of snow during this time with about 4 inches still covering the ground on Christmas morning.