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Will Chicago have a white Christmas?
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Here's what the forecast says for the potential of a snowy holiday.
CHICAGO - Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? It’s been a very snowy start to meteorological winter with 17.3 inches recorded at Chicago's O’Hare International Airport so far this season, but will all this snow actually stick around until Santa comes to town?
By the numbers:
First, let’s start with the definition of a white Christmas. Yes, there’s actually a definition in the weather world! In order for it to be considered a white Christmas, there must be one inch or more snow on the ground.
According to the National Weather Service and snowfall records dating back to 1884, Chicago sees a white Christmas 41% of the time. Now if we look at some more recent data from 1991 to 2020, the probability of a white Christmas in Chicago drops to just 34%.
The last year we had a white Christmas was in 2022 when there was exactly one inch of snow on the ground. So, how is this year looking?
The sculpture "Cloud Gate", commonly known as "the bean," is covered in snow in Chicago, Illinois. (Brian Kersey/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Chicago's white Christmas chances
What to expect:
As of Dec. 15, all of Chicagoland has snow on the ground. Snow depths range from roughly 2 to 8 inches, with the higher snowpack across far western and far southern counties.
The forecast is trending warmer than average for much of the stretch leading up to the Christmas holiday, putting our chances of a white Christmas in jeopardy. Highs in the coming days will be above freezing, and temperatures will soar into the mid 40s this Thursday with rain showers expected to likely expedite the melting process.
Unless Mother Nature throws us a last-minute curveball, our chances of a White Christmas may be limited.
The Source: The information in this report came from Meteorologist Emily Wahls and the National Weather Service.