Dreaming of a white Christmas in Sacramento? Here’s what experts say about chances of snow
Dreaming of a white Christmas in Sacramento?
Some people are hoping to see snow on the holiday in addition to jolly old St. Nicholas.
Has Sacramento ever had a white Christmas? Is it possible for the capital city to see snow on Dec. 25?
The Sacramento Bee reached out to weather experts to discover the answer.
Has Sacramento ever had a white Christmas?
The National Weather Service defines a white Christmas as at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on the morning of Dec. 25.
Although it has never snowed on Christmas Day in Sacramento, the capital city has seen snow close to the holiday.
Weather observers spotted traces of snow in Sacramento on Dec. 27 and 28, 1988.
When has Sacramento seen snow?
The most recent time snow was recorded in Sacramento was Dec. 7, 2009, when the capital region saw traces of white, fluffy flakes, according to a National Weather Service report.
In most instances, the report said, snowfall in Sacramento usually melts as it reaches the ground.
Other years when traces of snow were recorded in Sacramento include:
Jan. 21, 1964
Dec. 19, 20 and 23, 1968
Dec. 6 and 12, 1972
Jan. 4, 1974
March 17, 1982
Dec. 27 and 28, 1988
Feb. 27, 1996
Jan. 28, 2002
Sacramento has also seen more significant amounts of snowfall in the past.
Here are dates when snow fell and how many inches were recorded, according to the weather service report.
Jan. 13, 1879: A half-inch of snow
Jan. 26, 1880: 1 inch
Feb. 17 and 18, 1882: 1 inch
Jan. 4, 1888: A half-inch
Jan. 5, 1888: 3 inches
Jan. 16, 1888: A 10th of an inch
Jan. 6, 1907: 0.4 inches
Jan. 9, 1913: A 10th of an inch
Jan. 1, 1916: 2.5 inches
Jan. 27, 1916: A half-inch
Jan. 30, 1922: 1.5 inches
Jan. 12, 1932: 0.2 inches
March 14, 1942: 2 inches
Feb. 5, 1976: 2 inches
Will Sacramento see a white Christmas in 2024?
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Dakari Anderson, there is “zero chance” of snow in Sacramento on Christmas Day — Wednesday, Dec. 25 — in 2024.
However, the capital city is expected to see rain — at least a little bit.
According to the weather service’s latest seven-day forecast, Christmas Eve — Tuesday, Dec. 24 — will be wet.
After that, there should be a “brief lull in active weather,” Anderson told The Sacramento Bee.
That means Sacramento residents can expect a dry and mostly sunny Christmas Day before showers return that evening.
What conditions are needed for snow in Sacramento?
Anderson said snowfall in Sacramento is relatively rare.
In order for snow to fall in Sacramento, Anderson said the temperature would have to drop to 32 degrees or lower.
The capital city would also need enough moisture to produce precipitation.
“Sacramento doesn’t typically get cold enough to see snow,” he said. “On the days where it would be cold enough, those are oftentimes dry days. Those two things just don’t really align very well.”
In Sacramento, the average high temperature in December is 66 degrees, while the average low temperature is 38.5 degrees, according to National Weather Service lead meteorologist Nathan Rick.
As far as rain goes, the average precipitation amount in December is 3.43 inches, Rick said.
Those aren’t reliable conditions for producing snow, Anderson said.
“It’s a pretty rare event for Sacramento,” the meteorologist said.
Will Northern California get snow on Christmas Day?
Although Sacramento may not get a white Christmas this year, Anderson said there could be some snow across the Sierra Nevada during the holiday.
According to the weather service’s latest seven-day forecast, South Lake Tahoe will see rain and snow on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24.
The high is 41 degrees.
The snow level elevation of 7,700 feet will lower to 6,500 feet by Tuesday afternoon.
Snow is likely to continue into the night, as the low temperature decreases to around 23 degrees.
Wednesday, Christmas Day, will be partly sunny, with a high near 38 degrees.
The forecast for the greater Lake Tahoe area calls for rain and snow on Monday, Dec. 23, with low temperatures between 28 and 38 degrees.
Christmas Eve in the greater Lake Tahoe area is forecast to be windy with rain, snow and high temperatures between 38 and 43 degrees.
On the night before Christmas, there will likely be snow as the temperature dips between 13 and 23 degrees.
Christmas Day will bring cloudy skies to the greater Lake Tahoe area with a slight chance of snow. Highs will range from 34 to 39 degrees while the low will be 29 degrees.