A Pittsburgh White Christmas: What Are The Chances This Year?

PITTSBURGH, PA - With the holiday drawing nearer, the question is on the minds of many: What’s the likelihood of Pittsburgh having a white Christmas?

It doesn’t happen often. According to the National Weather Service, which defines a the event as having an inch or more of snow fall on Dec. 25., a White Christmas only happens about 10 percent of the time here.

Under that definition, Pittsburgh has had only four White Christmases since 1970. The most recent one was in 2002, when 1.8 inches of the white stuff fell.

The odds of there being a trace amount of snow are greater, about 38 percent, according to the weather service.

Early forecasts for this Christmas vary. AccuWeather is calling for intervals of clouds and sun with a high of 45, which would rule out any snow accumulation. The Weather Channel is calling for a 50 percent chance of snow showers and a high of 34.

The weather service is calling for a “busy” weather pattern around the holiday but is uncertain yet what the temperature will be that day. The agency’s advice? Stay tuned.

Photo via Pixabay.