Christmas Day Weather in Memphis

Will we have a white Christmas in Memphis this year? What's the chance of getting snow for Christmas in Memphis?

Well, what does history say about Memphis' chances for snow? Take a look - here's the weather that's happened on Christmas Day in Memphis for the past 137 years....

Records that go back to 1889 show that Memphis had a measurable amount of snow on Christmas only once in 123 years. That was in 1913 when 3.5 inches of snow fell on Christmas Day (1.4 inches was on the ground at 7:00 a.m. that day). Trace amounts (only a few flakes - not enough to measure), fell on ten occasions - 1914, 1918, 1926, 1939, 1948, 1975, 1980, 1992, 2009, and 2010.

There has been a few times when there was snow on the ground Christmas morning (from previous storms). The greatest was 1963 when 10 inches covered the city Christmas morning; 1962 and 2004 had 2 inches on the ground, 1998 had 1 inch on the ground, and a trace of snow  on Christmas morning in 1966, 1980, and 1990.

The warmest temperature for Christmas Day was 76 degrees in 1889; 1983 had the coldest Christmas at zero (0) degrees.

While a Memphis snow is rare on Christmas Day, rain has fallen several times. Christmas was rainy 45 times in the last 137 years; sleet (or freezing rain) happened three times. The wettest Christmas Day came in 1987 when 4.24 inches of rain soaked Memphis.

Will history be a guide again this year?

  Hi  Lo  Pcpn  Snow   Snow on  Character 
Year  (° F)  (° F)  (IN.)  (IN.)  Ground  of the Day 
1875 69 57 0.00 M M M
1876 33 22 T M M M
1877 59 52 0.17 M M M
1878 25 11 0.00 M M M
1879 27 14 T M M M
1880 37 33 0.11 M M M
1881 56 40 0.01 M M M
1882 54 42 0.00 M M M
1883 50 37 T M M M
1884 22 13 0.00 M M M
1885 49 36 0.00 M M M
1886 39 30 0.00 M M M
1887 41 22 0.00 M M M
1888 64 52 0.00 M M M
1889 76 63 0.00 0 0 M
1890 40 33 1.13 0 0 M
1891 60 51 0.13 0 0 M
1892 40 32 T 0 0 M
1893 69 60 T 0 0 M
1894 47 37 0.47 0 0 M
1895 63 51 0.07 0 0 M
1896 41 22 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1897 38 29 0.05 0 T PtCldy
1898 46 31 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1899 50 27 0.02 0 0 PtCldy
1900 52 35 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1901 62 41 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1902 45 27 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1903 49 31 0.81 0 0 Rain
1904 69 57 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1905 53 34 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1906 36 31 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1907 59 42 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1908 52 44 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1909 37 27 0.00 0 0 M
1910 53 30 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1911 52 42 0.77 0 0 Rain
1912 50 35 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1913 38 32 0.38 3.5 3.5 Snow
1914 36 24 0.19 T 0 Rain/Sleet
1915 44 35 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1916 55 42 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1917 59 28 0.02 0 0 Cloudy
1918 32 26 T T 0 M
1919 41 27 0.00 0 0 M
1920 45 29 T 0 0 PtCldy
1921 31 27 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1922 69 49 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1923 54 41 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1924 23 14 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1925 49 33 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1926 32 27 0.40 T 0 FrzRain/Sleet
1927 46 29 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1928 53 34 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1929 55 33 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1930 44 40 1.26 0 0 Rain
1931 52 40 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1932 65 46 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1933 40 30 0.04 0 0 Rain
1934 60 51 0.58 0 0 Rain
1935 37 17 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1936 64 51 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1937 56 43 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1938 52 39 0.07 0 0 Cloudy
1939 42 28 0.02 T 0 Cloudy
1940 54 51 0.02 0 0 Cloudy
1941 51 38 0.39 0 0 Rain
1942 73 58 T 0 0 PtCldy
1943 37 33 1.27 0 0 Rain
1944 60 32 2.71 0 0 Rain
1945 42 30 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1946 61 35 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1947 48 23 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1948 39 26 T T 0 PtCldy
1949 55 29 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1950 62 31 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1951 57 39 0.41 0 0 Rain
1952 46 28 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1953 49 26 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1954 61 28 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1955 62 51 T 0 0 Cloudy
1956 45 27 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1957 58 47 0.46 0 0 Rain
1958 45 26 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1959 54 36 T 0 0 Cloudy
1960 61 30 T 0 0 Sunny
1961 42 21 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1962 39 31 T 0 2 Cloudy
1963 45 7 0.00 0 10 Sunny
1964 68 43 T 0 0 Cloudy
1965 41 31 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1966 38 21 0.00 0 T PtCldy
1967 54 33 0.00 0 0 M
1968 44 23 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1969 37 34 0.47 0 0 Rain
1970 43 25 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1971 67 51 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1972 41 33 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1973 58 42 0.08 0 0 Cloudy
1974 48 35 0.13 0 0 Cloudy
1975 43 36 1.29 T 0 Rain to Snow 
1976 49 38 0.64 0 0 Rain
1977 44 30 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1978 53 27 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1979 49 34 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1980 31 20 T T T Cloudy
1981 52 25 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1982 72 55 2.91 0 0 Rain
1983 16 0 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1984 44 28 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1985 21 12 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1986 45 33 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1987 66 40 4.24 0 0 Rain
1988 53 36 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1989 46 24 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1990 40 17 0.00 0 T PtCldy
1991 53 29 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1992 39 28 0.21 T 0 Rain/Sleet
1993 43 30 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1994 47 34 0.00 0 0 Sunny
1995 37 27 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1996 42 24 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
1997 43 36 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
1998 41 21 0.00 0 1 PtCldy
1999 42 23 0.00 0 0 Sunny
2000 29 20 0.00 0 0 Cloudy
2001 37 23 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
2002 38 27 0.00 0 0 Sunny
2003 44 25 0.00 0 0 Sunny
2004 35 15 0.00 0 2 Sunny
2005 47 39 0.07 0 0 Cloudy
2006 47 38 1.23 0 0 Rain
2007 56 30 0.00 0 0 Sunny
2008 57 35 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
2009 45 31 T T 0 PtCldy
2010 36 32 T T 0 Flurries
2011 52 39 0.00 0 0 PtCldy
Average  Hi Lo Pcpn 
  48 33  0.17 
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