Will there be a white Christmas in the SouthCoast?

Faith Harrington, The Standard-Times
·2 min read

There’s something magical about waking up on Christmas morning to see a blanket of white powdery snow spread across the lawn. It’s the perfect backdrop to drink your hot chocolate to while opening presents in the wee hours of the morning.

While most people aren’t hoping for a blizzard of snow, many hope for a light dusting just enough to enhance the holiday spirit.

So that begs the question, will there be a white Christmas this year in the SouthCoast?

A man makes his way down Center Street in Fairhaven during last year's January snowfall.
A man makes his way down Center Street in Fairhaven during last year's January snowfall.

What is a white Christmas?

According to the National Weather Service, a white Christmas is defined as having 1 inch or more of snow on the ground on Christmas morning.

The last time this area had a white Christmas was 14 years ago, in 2009 when a mid-December blizzard dropped 20 inches of snow.

The nor'easter will go down as one of the biggest snowstorms ever in December, according to M.L. Baron, a longtime spotter for the National Weather Service and the operator of the West Island Weather Station.

"It was one of the biggest historical weather events in December since we have been keeping records," he said in a previous Standard-Times article.

Surprisingly there have only been 27 white Christmases recorded in the Boston area since 1892.

Will the SouthCoast see a white Christmas this year?

If you are looking forward to seeing snowflakes falling this Christmas, you are probably going to be disappointed.

A strong El Niño signature is favored this winter, according to The Weather Channel, which typically means this part of the country will see warmer-than-average conditions.

For the first time in four years, El Niño is in place during the winter months which will amplify the anticipated winter weather. El Niño is a regular, large-scale climate phenomenon that occurs when the water temperatures near the equator of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean are above the historical average for months at a time. These changes in water temperatures greatly influence the weather patterns in the United States.

Temperature outlook for December.
Temperature outlook for December.

“Those in the northern U.S. wishing for a cold December to set the mood for the holiday season might be out of luck this year,” the Weather Channel posted. “Cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston and New York City are all currently favored to have temperatures the farthest above average.”

The Old Farmer’s Almanac has the odds of Boston having a white Christmas at only  20%, but it does predict that snowfall in early 2024 will be above average. AccuWeather long-range meteorologists are forecasting 38-44 inches in Boston, leaving us with below-average temps in January and February and most likely having a white New Year.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Can we expect a white 2023 Christmas in the SouthCoast