We’re keeping an eye on December 25 to see whether we could have a white Christmas in south-central Pennsylvania.As far as our chances for a white Christmas this year, it doesn’t look promising.But that is par for the course for us here in South Central Pennsylvania. According to the National Weather Service, a white Christmas is defined as “having one inch or more of snow on the ground on Christmas morning.”The last time we had one inch of snow on the ground at Harrisburg International Airport, our official climatological weather station, was back in 2002 when we had 1” of snow on the ground. We did more recently have snow fall on Christmas Day back in 2020, but it only accumulated three tenths of an inch, not making the official National Weather Service cut. Any given year we have less than a 20 percent chances of having a white Christmas for the majority of the Susquehanna Valley. If you’re in western Franklin County, northern Dauphin County, northern Perry County, or in Juniata County, or in Mifflin County your chances rise to slightly above 20 percent. Lancaster City has just a 10 percent chance of a white Christmas while York, Harrisburg, and Lebanon have slightly higher yearly odds of 17 percent. The snowiest Christmas ever for the Susquehanna Valley was in 2002 where 8 inches of snow fell. The current 10-day forecast updated the evening of Monday, December 16, calls for chances of rain showers for Christmas Day with highs in the lower 40s. Our long-range models are in some agreement that a storm will cross the region Christmas Day, but it will likely have too warm of air to support snow reaching the surface and coating the ground.There is a low chance this storm could come in earlier Christmas Eve and if cooler air is still around for its arrival some sort of wintry mix is possible. But, given our long-term low chances for a white Christmas throughout recorded history, the odds are stacked against us we see accumulating snow. The News 8 Storm Team will continue to fine tune the forecast in the coming days.
We’re keeping an eye on December 25 to see whether we could have a white Christmas in south-central Pennsylvania.
As far as our chances for a white Christmas this year, it doesn’t look promising.
But that is par for the course for us here in South Central Pennsylvania.
According to the National Weather Service, a white Christmas is defined as “having one inch or more of snow on the ground on Christmas morning.”
The last time we had one inch of snow on the ground at Harrisburg International Airport, our official climatological weather station, was back in 2002 when we had 1″ of snow on the ground.
We did more recently have snow fall on Christmas Day back in 2020, but it only accumulated three tenths of an inch, not making the official National Weather Service cut.
Any given year we have less than a 20 percent chances of having a white Christmas for the majority of the Susquehanna Valley. If you’re in western Franklin County, northern Dauphin County, northern Perry County, or in Juniata County, or in Mifflin County your chances rise to slightly above 20 percent.
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Chances For White ChristmasÂ
Lancaster City has just a 10 percent chance of a white Christmas while York, Harrisburg, and Lebanon have slightly higher yearly odds of 17 percent.
The snowiest Christmas ever for the Susquehanna Valley was in 2002 where 8 inches of snow fell.
The current 10-day forecast updated the evening of Monday, December 16, calls for chances of rain showers for Christmas Day with highs in the lower 40s. Our long-range models are in some agreement that a storm will cross the region Christmas Day, but it will likely have too warm of air to support snow reaching the surface and coating the ground.
There is a low chance this storm could come in earlier Christmas Eve and if cooler air is still around for its arrival some sort of wintry mix is possible.
But, given our long-term low chances for a white Christmas throughout recorded history, the odds are stacked against us we see accumulating snow.
The News 8 Storm Team will continue to fine tune the forecast in the coming days.