4Warn Weather – As we approach the Christmas holiday, and after experiencing a few rounds of snow across Southeastern Michigan, what are our chances of seeing a white Christmas?
To answer this, we look at the climatology for a white Christmas in Southeastern Michigan. Generally, the further south you go, the lower the historical chances of experiencing a white Christmas. Here’s how it typically plays out in your area:
For this analysis, a “white Christmas” is defined as having 0.1 inches or more of snow on the ground on December 25th each year.
Areas from Ann Arbor up to Novi, then northeast toward Port Huron, and through Sandusky, including portions of Genesee and Lapeer counties, as well as most of Livingston County, traditionally have the best chance of seeing a white Christmas in the region, with a 41-50% chance each year based on climatology.
In contrast, areas in southeastern Washtenaw, Wayne, southeastern Oakland, southeastern Macomb, Monroe, and Lenawee counties traditionally have a 26-40% chance of experiencing a white Christmas each year, according to climatology.
According to the National Weather Service in Detroit/Pontiac, over the last 70 years (since 1954):
- 29 out of 70 Christmas Days have had no snow on the ground and no new snowfall.
- 10 out of 70 Christmas Days have had no snow on the ground, but Detroit did receive some new snowfall.
- 20 out of 70 Christmas Days have had 1 to 3 inches of snow depth on the ground.
- 11 out of 70 Christmas Days have had over 3 inches of snow depth on the ground.
We will continue to monitor the weather to see if we will have a white Christmas this year or if the ground will be more green than white!