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White Christmas report

Photo courtesy of Flickr / State Library of Victoria Collections

blog by S.J. Velasquez • December 20, 2012 @ 1:38pm

Forecasters are calling it: Buffalo could very well have a white Christmas.

No big news, it seems, as Buffalo is often a contender for the coveted Golden Snowball award, which is based on annual snowfall numbers. But, realistically, the Queen City of the Lakes doesn’t always see the flakes fly on Christmas. Blame ~~El Nino~~ global warming all you like, but Christmas weather in our region is really a mixed bag from year to year.

Back in 1982, temperatures reached 64 degrees in Buffalo, according to the National Weather Service. And just two years prior to that record high on the books, Christmas Day temperatures dipped to a bone-chilling -10 degrees, as if Mother Nature wanted to prove the point that she does what she wants.

The last time it truly snowed on Christmas was 2010, with just traces of snowflakes falling in some parts of Western New York last year.

National Weather Service representatives are predicting a snowstorm for the early part of the weekend, and low temperatures could help preserve the white powder until Christmas Day, which falls on Tuesday.

So what’s the probability that Buffalo will have its white Christmas? According to the National Climatic Data Center, the chances are pretty good. The organization is predicting a 60 percent chance of snow on Christmas.