ARKANSAS, USA — Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? They are rare around Arkansas and much of the South, but we haven't always had to dream about them. Some years there has been snow on Christmas in Arkansas. We looked back over the past 100 years at the white Christmases of old.
Wondering about your chances of a white Christmas this year? Here's an early look at weather patterns for late December.
Tap here for a look at where snow is falling right now with our interactive radar.
(Our data was sourced from the National Weather Service in Tulsa and Little Rock.)
What does it take to have a white Christmas?
Seems like a silly question... But everyone has a different definition of a white Christmas. Does it mean you had at least a dusting? Does the ground need to be covered? What if we start with snow and then it melts? We need a standardized definition for record-keeping purposes. The National Weather Service has the answer... You need at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas morning (old snow or new snow).
What is the chance for a white Christmas in Arkansas?
It does not happen very often...
After climate averages were adjusted in 2021, the entire state has less than a 10% chance of a white Christmas. NW Arkansas and the mountains in the north have the best chance for snow by Christmas morning.
White Christmas in the past
There are two snows of recent memory during the Christmas holiday. The biggest one was in 2012 that many Arkansans remember.
Below we list white Christmases based on region, plus some extras where snow was a part of the Christmas story but may have not officially counted.
Northern Arkansas
- 2022: Light snow fell a couple of days before Christmas as a massive Arctic plunge hit around December 21-22nd. Some places had a dusting in spots on Christmas morning.
- 2009: A winter storm hit Christmas Eve dumping 2-6" with a couple of inches lasting into Christmas morning.
- 2004: There was about an inch left of snow in northeast Arkansas after 3 inches had fallen a couple of days before.
- 2000: A lot of ice hit across northern Arkansas, but there was very little snowfall.
- 1990: at least 1" of snow
- 1983: at least 1" of snow
- 1975: at least 5" of snow fell in the morning
- 1963: at 4" fell a couple of days before Christmas with snow patches leftover by Christmas morning
- 1926: Rain changed over to snow on Christmas
Central Arkansas (mainly Little Rock)
- 2012: Big snow across central Arkansas, but north-central and northeastern Arkansas picked up several inches. Only a dusting or so fell in NWA. The bulk of the snow fell from Christmas morning through December 26th.
- 2009: There were patches of light snow left over from a few days before.
- 1990: 2.4 inches were measured in Little Rock.
- 1983: 2 inches of snow fell a few days before Christmas, but then mostly melted by Christmas morning.
- 1975: 2 inches of snow fell for Christmas morning, but then quickly melted.
- 1963: Nearly 10 inches of snow fell on December 22nd, but by Christmas morning only 2 inches remained.
- 1962: There was 1" of snow on Christmas Eve, with just patches left by Christmas morning.
- 1926: Rain changed over to snow on Christmas, and eventually 2 inches accumulated by night.
Southern Arkansas (very rare)
- 2012: Southwestern Arkansas received a few inches of snow.
White Christmases do not happen often, but when they do, Arkansans remember them for many years to come.