Has it ever snowed in Modesto on Christmas Day? How likely it is to happen this year?
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?
According to the National Weather Service, it has never snowed in Modesto on Christmas Day — and the city is unlikely to see snow on the holiday in the future.
However, Modesto has had measurable snowfall in past years, the agency said.
When has it snowed in Modesto?
Since 1910, it has snowed in Modesto four times, the National Weather Service said.
Here’s when, and how much snowfall the city received each time:
Jan. 12, 1930: 1 inch of snow
Jan. 21, 1962: 1.5 inches
Dec. 6, 1972: .3 inches
Feb. 5, 1976: 1.3 inches
Is snow possible on Christmas in Modesto?
Michael Musher, a spokesperson from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the chances of a white Christmas in Modesto are “not very high.”
According to an interactive map from the NOAA based on climatology from 1991 to 2020, Modesto has a zero percent chance of experiencing snow on Christmas.
Where can I go to experience a white Christmas?
If you’re looking for an opportunity to experience Christmas in the snow, Musher said you will have better chances going east at higher elevations.
“If you go east toward the Sierra Mountains and higher elevation, the percentages increase to 30 to 50% of seeing 1 inch of snow,” Musher wrote in an email to The Modesto Bee.
Though Modesto has little to no chance of having a white Christmas, residents can travel a few hours away to see snow during the holiday or experience one of California’s real-life “winter wonderlands.”
Based on the interactive map, Pacific House in El Dorado County has a 41% chance of seeing snow on Christmas.
Tahoe City, near the Nevada border, has an 83% chance of snow on Christmas.
Truckee, bordering Nevada in Northern California, has a 93% chance of experiencing a white Christmas.
What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com.
