From Toronto to Moscow, these cities will likely be warmer than Louisville on Christmas
A white Christmas makes for beautiful television and movies and has inspired some great songs, but it's not as fun when your plans change at the last minute or your celebration is stuck indoors.
The National Weather Service in Louisville says Sunday (Christmas Day) should have a high of 20 degrees during the day, and the temperature could drop as low as 11 degrees at night. The days beforehand will be even colder, though – Friday's high is about 8 degrees and a low of 2 degrees, and Saturday's forecast includes a 14-degree high during the day and 6-degree conditions on the evening of Christmas Eve.
The picture of this winter seems gloomy, but according to the weather service, these are not record-breaking temperatures.
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The lowest temperature ever recorded in Louisville on Dec. 23 was -8 degrees, in 1989, and the city's coldest-ever Christmas Eve also sat at -8 degrees in 1983. The coldest Christmas Day in the city's history also was recorded in 1983, with a low of -7 degrees, according to weather service records.
We've had warm weather this week at times as well, though. A 70-degree temperature on Dec. 23 was recorded in 2015 while the highest temperature recorded on Christmas Eve was in 1889, when we hit 71 degrees. Just last year we had our warmest Christmas Day in history, with a high of 75 degrees.
It's going to be cold – really cold. But let's put it in perspective. Here's a quick look at some other notable cities around the country and world that are on track to have a warmer Christmas Day than the 20-degree day expected in Louisville, according to timeanddate.com, which aggregates international forecasts.
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Toronto, Canada
You'd think we'd be in better shape than Toronto, right? Not quite. The Canadian city's high on Christmas Day is currently set at 23 degrees.
Aspen, Colorado
One of the premier skiing towns in the U.S. will be warmer than Louisville this weekend, with a Sunday high of 37 degrees.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Fresh off the country's World Cup win, it's summer time in Argentina's capital city these days, which makes sense residents will enjoy a high of 74 degrees.
San Juan
Puerto Ricans will unsurprisingly have a hot Christmas day, with sunny skies and a high of 84 degrees.
San Francisco
Although its only a plane ride away from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, weather in the California city — with a high of 59 degrees — will feel far away for many this weekend.
Melbourne, Australia
With a high of 83 degrees, its going to be a g'day for Australians. Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere doesn't sound too bad.
London, United Kingdom
Although there will be light showers (no surprise) the temperature will be a high of 52 degrees. A lot of us would trade a little rain for a 32-degree temperature bump.
Moscow, Russia
Even Moscow will be warmer than Louisville, with a Sunday high of 34 degrees.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
A high of 53 degrees and a low of 26 degrees. It pays to be in the desert sometimes.
Marrakech, Morocco
The vast majority in Morocco don't celebrate Christmas, but it's worth noting they will have warmer weather: A high of 76 and a low of 47 degrees this Sunday.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
The western state's capital city will have a high of 46 degrees and a low of 36 degrees. That sounds better than the Winter Storm Watch that the National Weather Service has issued for Louisville, right?
Seattle
A rainy 46-degree high sounds amazing compared to a 20-degree weather.
Rome, Italy
The Italian city will have a sunny Sunday, with a high of 62 degrees and a low of 45 degrees.
Kodiak, Alaska
Didn't think Alaska would be an ideal spot to spend Christmas, right? This year, the northernmost state's city of Kodiak is looking at a 31-degree high on Sunday.
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Reach Ana Alvarez Briñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter @SoyAnaAlvarez.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Christmas weather will be colder than many northern cities
