WASHINGTON — It's officially December and Christmas is right around the corner. Will D.C. see white Christmas in 2022? Historically, chances are slim.
The last time there was a white Christmas in D.C. was in 2009. That was only because there was snow left on the ground from D.C.'s largest December snowstorm on record the week before, dubbed "Snowpocalypse."
Overall, white Christmases are rare in the region. According to the official definition of "white Christmas" from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a Christmas can only be considered white if there is one inch of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. on Dec. 25.
Looking at data going back to 1884, snow has only fallen on Christmas Day in D.C. nine times. That means there is only a 7% chance of a white Christmas in D.C. in 2022.
There have been 19 occasions when snow was on the ground in D.C. for Christmas since 1888. In 1962, D.C. saw the most snowfall on Dec. 25 with 5.4 inches.
Our WUSA9 Weather Watch team predicts the first measurable snowfall in the DMV will be Dec. 18.