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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
315 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2001
... WHITE CHRISTMAS HISTORY ...
EACH YEAR, AS CHRISTMAS DAY APPROACHES, PEOPLE ACROSS NORTH
AND CENTRAL ALABAMA BEGIN DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS. THIS YEAR
WITH THE ABNORMALLY WARM WEATHER, SOME PEOPLE ARE WONDERING IF IT
WILL EVEN TURN COLD! FORTUNATELY, THE CALENDAR SAYS WE ARE
OFFICIALLY APPROACHING WINTER, SO THERE IS COLD WEATHER IN OUR FUTURE.
UNFORTUNATELY, HOWEVER, HISTORICAL RECORDS DO NOT HOLD MUCH HOPE
FOR A TRULY CLASSICAL WHITE CHRISTMAS WITH SNOW FALLING AND
MEASURABLE AMOUNTS ON THE GROUND ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
MONTGOMERY AREA:
FOR MONTGOMERY, THERE HAS BEEN NO WHITE CHRISTMAS ACCORDING
TO RECORDS BACK TO 1919. THE CLOSEST TO A WHITE CHRISTMAS CAME IN 1962
WHEN A TRACE OF SNOW WAS OBSERVED ON DECEMBER 24TH. A NEAR MISS
OCCURRED IN 1935 WHEN 1.4 INCHES OF SNOW FELL ON DECEMBER 21-22.
BIRMINGHAM AREA:
FOR BIRMINGHAM, WHERE OVER 100 YEARS OF WEATHER RECORDS EXIST,
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A WHITE CHRISTMAS IN THE CLASSIC SENSE.
PERHAPS THE CLOSEST RESEMBLANCE TO A WHITE CHRISTMAS IN
BIRMINGHAM WAS DECEMBER, 1985. FLURRIES FALLING ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND
EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING LIGHTLY DUSTED SOME AREAS, BUT SNOW WAS
NOT DEEP ENOUGH TO MEASURE.
WEATHER RECORDS SHOW THAT 5.5 INCHES OF SNOW FELL AT THE CITY
OFFICE ON DECEMBER 22, 1929. ON DECEMBER 24TH, THERE WAS STILL 2.5 INCHES
OF SNOW ON THE GROUND AT 7 PM. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE SNOW MELTED
CHRISTMAS DAY WHEN THE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO 51 DEGREES.
HUNTSVILLE AREA:
BECAUSE OF IT'S LOCATION IN THE NORTHERN SECTION OF THE STATE,
HUNTSVILLE AND THE TENNESSEE VALLEY HAVE THE BEST CHANCES FOR
EXPERIENCING A WHITE CHRISTMAS. ACCORDING TO RECORDS DATING BACK TO
1958, SNOW HAS ONLY FALLEN ON ONE CHRISTMAS, 1989. A TRACE OF SNOW
WAS OBSERVED ON THE GROUND WITH A TOTAL SNOWFALL MEASURED AT ONLY
3 TENTHS OF AN INCH (0.3").
THERE WAS A VERY CLOSE CALL IN 1985 WHEN 4 TENTHS OF AN INCH FELL
ON THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. ANOTHER CLOSE CALL CAME IN 1963 WHEN 5.5
INCHES OF SNOW FELL ON THE 22ND AND 23RD WITH AN INCH OR LESS STILL ON
THE GROUND ON CHRISTMAS DAY. ADDITIONALLY, THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE "NEAR
MISSES" IN HUNTSVILLE. A TRACE OF SNOW WAS RECORDED ON CHRISTMAS EVE
IN 1993, 1983, 1980, 1969, AND 1966.
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