What U.S. Cities Are Most Likely to Enjoy a White Christmas on Average

Climate change is being blamed on making it less likely that you will enjoy a white Christmas. The organization Climate Central is warning that the traditional 12 days of Christmas are getting warmer for 97% of the weather stations in the U.S. since 1970. These stations have reported an average temperature increase of 4.9 degrees while overall snow cover across North America has dropped by 17% between the years 1973 and 2016.

That does not mean that there is no chance to experience the elusive white Christmas. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tracks data that details what cities have the highest odds of seeing snow on Christmas. NOAA defines a white Christmas snow of an inch or more on the morning of December 25. Here are the cities that are most likely to see snow on Christmas Day.

Denver - 34% Chance of Snow

Denver is the top U.S. city to experience a white Christmas. The Mile High City has a 34% chance of having snow on the ground on this day. You only have to go back to 2022 to find the last white Christmas in this Colorado metro area. The city had 2 inches of snow on the ground this particular year. What is interesting about Denver's statistics is that the snowy years tend to happen in clusters. For instance, there was only one year between 2006 and 2012 that did not see a white Christmas. Conversely, there were only two white Christmases between the years 2013 and 2021.

Chicago - 33.5% Chance of Snow

Coming in right behind Denver is Chicago with a 33.5% chance of measurable snowfall on Christmas. NOAA uses snow measured at O'Hare International Airport as its official gauge. The year 2000 was a whopper of a year with over a foot of snow on the ground on Christmas morning. This season saw 23 days of snow in December alone in Chicago.

Since that especially snowy Christmas, the Windy City has seen eight years with snow on the ground. Like Denver, 2022 was the most recent year that saw a white Christmas when there was a mere inch on the ground. Chicago saw 2 inches of snow in 2017.

Indianapolis - 26% Chance of Snow

Not too far from Chicago, Indianapolis comes in on the list in third place. This city also saw snow in 2022, proving that this was a widespread snow event. Indianapolis enjoyed a winter wonderland on Christmas in 2017 and 2010 in recent years. However, you have to go back to 2005 to find the last time that over an inch fell on the actual holiday.

Boston - 25% Chance of Snow

Most people would probably put Boston higher on the list thanks to its notorious reputation for heavy snow. However, the metro area has not seen a white Christmas since 2017 when 2.9 inches fell on that day. Boston recorded a whopping 11 inches of snow on the ground on Christmas in 1995. The year 2009 had at least 4 inches of snow on the ground left by a snowstorm that slammed the city five days prior.

Other Cities Rounding Out the List

Columbus, Ohio comes in behind Boston with a 22.6% chance of snow. The city also had at least 1 inch of snow recorded on the ground in the years 2017, 2020, and 2022. However, the capital city of Ohio has not seen snow fall from the sky on Christmas Day since 1989.

New York City is another major metro area that is associated with snow on Christmas Day. As such, you may be surprised to learn that the city's famous Central Park only has a 13.2% chance of experiencing a white Christmas. The record amount of snow observed in the Big Apple on Christmas happened in 1909 when 7 inches was reported. Residents woke up to about 2 inches of the white stuff on the ground on Christmas Day of 2009, however, the snow was merely what was left from a major winter weather event on December 19 and 20.

The year 2020 was a weather anomaly in New York City. Although over 10 inches of snow came down across the region the week before the holiday, warmer temperatures leading up to Christmas Day melted all of the snow.