Weather Blog: Will Oklahoma Have A White Christmas?

Will We See a White Christmas This Year?

As meteorologists, we often get asked this time of year, “Will we have snow on Christmas Day?”

Unfortunately, for Oklahoma City, the chances this year are slim.

The current temperature trends and forecasts indicate very minimal chances for snow this holiday, with the likelihood far below average at just 2%.

What Is a White Christmas?

Oklahoma City needs at least one inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day to officially declare a 'White Christmas.'

This could mean snow that fell the day before and stayed put or snow that falls on Christmas itself.

Anything less—like a light dusting or a mere trace—doesn't meet the criteria.

Who Will See a White Christmas This Year?

While Oklahoma City’s chances are low, parts of the northern U.S. are already blanketed in snow, and it’s likely to stick around through Christmas.

States to our north are the most likely to enjoy a white Christmas this year, thanks to consistent cold temperatures and earlier snowfalls.

For us, however, it’s a waiting game that rarely pays off.

Years Where We Had a White Christmas

White Christmases are rare in Oklahoma City. Here are some notable years:

1. 1914, 1918, 1975, 1987: Trace amounts of snow.
2. 2002: Two inches of snow on the ground.
3. 2009: The infamous Christmas Eve blizzard left snow on the ground for Christmas Day, the last official white Christmas in Oklahoma City.

Since record-keeping began in the 1890s, we’ve only seen snow on Christmas about 9% of the time, and many of those instances were just a trace, which doesn’t technically qualify.

The Past 9 Years On Christmas Day

Looking back at the past nine years, not only have we missed out on snow, but we’ve also experienced some unseasonably warm Christmases.

Temperatures have ranged from the 70s in some years to last year’s chilly highs in the 40s.

It’s been 12 years since our last snow-covered Christmas in 2009, making the idea of another one all the more exciting…and unlikely.

Silver Linings

While the lack of snow might disappoint some, it does come with perks. Clear roads and mild conditions make travel much safer and more convenient during the holiday season.