MIKE MOSS SAYS: Thelma, If we define White Christmas as the occurrence or accumulation of measurable snowfall on December 25th at the official observing site for Raleigh, we find that there has never been more than a trace of snow recorded on that date since reliable records began in the late 1800s. There have been several times when snow flurries occurred on Christmas Day, but failed to reach a measurable threshold.
The most recent occurrence of snow flurries on Dec 25th in Raleigh was in 1999. According to a public information statement from the National Weather Service office in Raleigh, trace amounts of snow on Christmas were also noted in 1897, 1899, 1915, 1947, 1953, 1970, 1981, 1993 and 1998. We have also had a couple of icy holidays, with sleet and freezing rain reported in 1962 and a leftover icy glaze in 1998.
There have also been a very few situations in which there was previously accumulated snow remaining on the ground for Christmas Day. This occurred in 1930, 1935, 1966 and 1967, with 1966 being the last time at least an inch of snow remained in place at the official observing site. There have been a few close calls too, with notable snow just after Christmas in 1892, and melting by Christmas Eve in 1993.
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