Will Myrtle Beach area see snow this winter? Here’s what we’ll get for Christmas and beyond

This winter’s forecast for the Myrtle Beach area can be summed up in one word: Wet.

And while that means your best bet of seeing snow for Christmas is in a Hallmark movie, a chance of the white stuff is not totally out of the picture.

There are chances for some chilly days, and with the expected rainfall, “if things match up…we could get snow,” said Jordan Baker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

But in the meantime, “Pull the umbrellas out,” Baker said.

Baker said that this winter, including December, will be warmer than average. Winter officially starts Dec. 21, but the meteorological winter begins on Dec. 1.

For the first time in four years, El Nino has returned and will bring substantial rainfall this winter in North and South Carolina, according to the NWS.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is reporting a 50% to 60% chance of above normal rainfall from January through March for the Myrtle Beach area.

The Farmers’ Almanac is predicting much of the same weather for South Carolina. The forecast does call for unseasonably cold temperatures that will blow into the southeast states in mid-February.

Snow along the Grand Strand is an uncommon occurrence. But when it does happen, it’s a memorable experience for those living along the coast.

Baker said the last measurable snow was in 2018. The Myrtle Beach area missed out on heavy snowfalls, but some areas saw about 3 inches, according to the NWS. In addition, freezing temperatures turned roads into ice.

The last time the Myrtle Beach area saw snow for Christmas was on Dec. 24, 1989, when 14 inches of snowfall was reported, according to NWS records.

Since that time, most of the area’s coldest temps that result in snow have occurred in February, which may lend to the Farmers’ Almanac’s prediction. The Wilmington office reported at least 12 inches of snow in February of 1973.