Each year, as Christmas Day approaches, people across eastern Kansas and northern Missouri begin dreaming of a White Christmas. However, historical records do not hold much hope for a truly classical White Christmas, that is, snow falling and measurable amounts on the ground on Christmas Day.  The National Climatic Data Center has compiled a map from historical snowfall data indicating the chances of having a white Christmas across the country.  The majority of Kansas and Missouri only average a 10-25% chance of a white Christmas, only the extreme northern portions of the states have a slightly higher statistical chance of a white Christmas.  For Kansas City, we have an 18% chance of a white Christmas. 

The forecast for this Christmas: little to no chance of a white Christmas for Kansas City as well as much of Missouri and portions of Kansas.

 

Probability of a White Christmas

 

 You may notice that this winter season has been a much different winter as compared to the past two seasons to this point in time.  This idea is not only valid for our area, but also for much of the United States. You can see the significant differences from the maps below which indicate the snow at a certain point in time. 

SNOW ON GROUND AS OF 12/20/2010:

SNOW ON GROUND AS OF 12/20/2011:

 

 

 

Kansas City Christmas Weather (1888 to Present)

Statistics
Average Max: 38°F    Highest Max: 67°F in 1922    Average Min: 22°F    Lowest Min: -16°F in 1983
Most Snowfall: 3.3" in 2009   Greatest Snow Depth: 10" in 1918
Most Precip: 0.28" in 1957    Strongest Average Wind Speed: 24 mph in 1908
Percentage of White Christmases 18%
YEAR MAX MIN PRECIP SNOW FALL SNOW DEPTH WND SPD FASTEST MPH SKY YEAR
1888 32 29 0.23 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 1888
1889 66 46       6.5 18 PC 1889
1890 31 20 0.06     8.8 19 PC 1890
1891 26 14 0.02 T T 11.2 20 PC 1891
1892 26 6 0.08 1.2   4.2 10 CLDY 1892
1893 38 24       11.1 30 CLR 1893
1894 32 24 T T   13.8 24 CLDY 1894
1895 33 23 0.20 2.5 2.2 8.2 16 ---- 1895
1896 41 22       14 30 CLR 1896
1897 40 32     T 8.1 15 CLR 1897
1898 35 24     T 8.7 25 PC 1898
1899 25 15 0.01 0.1 0.2 6.7 15 CLDY 1899
1900 39 20       4.2 8 CLDY 1900
1901 36 29 T T   4.1 7 CLDY 1901
1902 18 4       13.6 20 CLR 1902
1903 40 7 T T   14.1 42 PC 1903
1904 39 28 T T   6.4 13 CLDY 1904
1905 49 29     T 7.2 14 CLR 1905
1906 46 30       5.2 9 CLR 1906
1907 42 31       10.2 17 CLR 1907
1908 46 35       23.9 45 CLR 1908
1909 23 12   0.3 4.2 23 46 CLR 1909
1910 47 31       13 23 PC 1910
1911 32 18 0.20     12.3 22 PC 1911
1912 51 32       9.9 17 CLR 1912
1913 33 19 T T 1.4 17.4 27 CLDY 1913
1914 14 3     6 13.3 20 CLDY 1914
1915 32 19     4 15.2 23 CLDY 1915
1916 43 6 0.05     18.3 29 CLDY 1916
1917 24 15       16.4 28 CLR 1917
1918 20 6     10 8.7 14 CLR 1918
1919 32 27     T 11.3 21 CLDY 1919
YEAR MAX MIN PRECIP SNOW FALL SNOW DEPTH WND SPD FASTEST MPH SKY YEAR
1920 40 18 0.01 0.1 T 11.5 24 CLDY 1920
1921 27 7     T 7.5 16 PC 1921
1922 67 40       8.5 17 CLR 1922
1923 47 32       9 18 CLR 1923
1924 16 2     7.2 11.4 25 CLR 1924
1925 31 21 0.01 0.1 T 12.2 25 PC 1925
1926 32 16       5.8 14 PC 1926
1927 49 35       6.4 13 PC 1927
1928 50 31       10.1 16 CLR 1928
1929 56 32       10.2 19 CLR 1929
1930 42 31 T T   10.2 19 CLDY 1930
1931 56 35       6.5 11 CLR 1931
1932 44 33       13.9 23 PC 1932
1933 25 15       11.2 16 CLDY 1933
1934 40 13 0.03 T   12 32 CLDY 1934
1935 28 3 0.02 0.2 0.1 18.7 35 PC 1935
1936 65 53 T     18.3 26 CLDY 1936
1937 38 22 T T T 6.4 13 PC 1937
1938 55 26       7.5 17 CLR 1938
1939 34 25     T 6.1 10 CLDY 1939
1940 54 47 0.02     8.2 19 CLDY 1940
1941 41 36 0.24     8.9 17 CLDY 1941
1942 40 33       8.3 15 CLDY 1942
1943 45 20       4.8 10 CLR 1943
1944 28 11 0.02 T T 12.1 19 CLDY 1944
1945 27 19 T T 4.2 12.2 18 CLDY 1945
1946 56 30       11.2 20 PC 1946
1947 47 24       12.5 25 CLDY 1947
1948 23 3 T T 5 8.2 16 CLR 1948
1949 43 22 0.02 0.1 1 14 33 CLDY 1949
YEAR MAX MIN PRECIP SNOW FALL SNOW DEPTH WND SPD FASTEST MPH SKY YEAR
1950 65 24       8.3 20 CLDY 1950
1951 25 15 0.01 T T 8.1 19 CLDY 1951
1952 26 18 T T 2 12.4 19 CLDY 1952
1953 44 24       9.5 20 CLR 1953
1954 64 39       10.5 22 PC 1954
1955 48 29       9.4 17 CLR 1955
1956 44 21     T 7.3 17 CLR 1956
1957 50 38 0.28     13.1 25 PC 1957
1958 51 35       9.2 17 PC 1958
1959 58 41       14.7 29 CLDY 1959
1960 64 36       12.6 26 CLR 1960
1961 43 12       6.9 16 CLDY 1961
1962 27 11 0.10 1.3 3 8.5 17 CLDY 1962
1963 57 30     T 6.9 17 CLR 1963
1964 28 21 0.18 0.6 T 11.7 16 CLDY 1964
1965 36 28     T 11.4 22 CLDY 1965
1966 35 16     T 3.3 9 PC 1966
1967 44 20 0.03     14.1 26 CLR 1967
1968 32 21       15 19 CLDY 1968
1969 47 22       5.6 10 PC 1969
1970 32 17       13.2 24 CLR 1970
1971 63 37 T     7.7 20 CLDY 1971
1972 38 30 T     10.6 23 CLDY 1972
1973 38 28 T     ---- ---- ---- 1973
1974 29 12     1 7.9 10 PC 1974
1975 33 30       9.8 13 CLDY 1975
1976 44 27       9.4 17 CLR 1976
1977 25 15       10.5 19 CLR 1977
1978 44 22       10 20 CLR 1978
1979 40 24       8.2 15 CLDY 1979
YEAR MAX MIN PRECIP SNOW FALL SNOW DEPTH WND SPD FASTEST MPH SKY YEAR
1980 17 -5     1 8.8 18 CLDY 1980
1981 39 25       12.2 16 CLDY 1981
1982 48 28       15.2 20 CLDY 1982
1983 4 -16 T   7 11.7 15 CLR 1983
1984 32 9       9.1 16 PC 1984
1985 17 3 T T T 14.3 18 CLR 1985
1986 50 26       8.9 8 PC 1986
1987 30 24 0.02 0.3   15.9 24 CLDY 1987
1988 41 21       13.8 23 PC 1988
1989 43 27     4 13 17 CLR 1989
1990 28 12 T T T 11.6 20 CLDY 1990
1991 46 25       8.9 13 CLR 1991
1992 34 17       10.8 23 CLR 1992
1993 38 19 T   T 17.9 36 CLR 1993
1994 34 24       4.4 12 CLDY 1994
1995 32 22       8.1 21 CLDY 1995
1996 24 3       9.7 21 CLR 1996
1997 33 31 T T 3 5.8 15 CLDY 1997
1998 38 15       12.6 29 PC 1998
1999 53 23       10.6 18 PC 1999
2000 17 3 T T 3 9.5 16 CLDY 2000
2001 35 9 T T   8.3 23 PC
2001
2002
35
10
      
6.3
13
CLR
2002
2003
49
25
      
12.4
22
PC
2003
2004
43
19
      
10.9
24
PC
2004
2005
39
30
      
8.4
21
CLDY
2005
2006
39
25
      
13.9
35
PC
2006
2007 47 37     1 11.5 23 CLR 2007
2008 46 10       15.7 36 PC 2008
2009 20 13 0.17 3.3

6

 21.0 44 CLDY 2009
2010 30 13 T T

T
14.4
 26 CLDY 2010
T = Trace
---- = Missing Data CLR = Clear
PC = Partly Cloudy
CLDY = Cloudy
 N = North
S = South
E = East
W = West 		NW = Northwest
NE = Northeast
SW = Southwest
SE = Southeast

Max = Maximum Temperature in Fahrenheit.
Min = Minimum Temperature in Fahrenheit.
Snowfall and Snow Depth in inches.
Precip(itation) is in inches.
WIN DIR = Wind Direction
WIN SPD & FASTEST MPH = Wind Speed in mph.

Last Updated on 12/20/2011

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