Will Buffalo have a white Christmas this year?

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The weather in Western New York this Christmas will be cooler than last year. Last year's high temperature was 57 degrees, 22 degrees above average (35 degrees). This year, the temperature will be cooler but still above average. The forecast high temperature will be around 37 degrees.

There is still some good news for those wanting a white Christmas. Temperatures plummet this weekend. Saturday, Dec. 21's high temperature starts near 20 and drops into the teens, and Sunday will even be colder. Sunday's high will likely settle in the mid-teens.

There are a few shots of fresh snow on the days before Christmas. Widespread light snow will fall on Friday and give Western New York 2-5" of snow. Sunday and Monday will remain dry but cold, so not much melting will occur. Tuesday, Christmas Eve, will bring the next round of widespread snow to Western New York. The amount remains low, with 1-3" expected. Some melting may happen during Christmas, but not enough to melt all the snow away.

Last year, there was no snow on Christmas. Climate records going back to 1953 showed that it was only the 21st of 71 Christmas days that had no snow. That was a far cry from 2022, when the blizzard dumped heavy snow on the region days before Christmas, with 2.8 inches recorded at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Dec. 25, but there was 27" of snow on the ground due to the blizzard preceding the holiday.

The snowiest Christmas on record was in 2002, when 8.4 inches of snow fell at the airport.

The record high on Christmas was 64 degrees all the way back in 1982. The lowest temperature was negative-10 degrees two years earlier in 1980.