Are you dreaming of White Christmas in Schuylkill County this year?
After quite the emotional year, it’d be nice to wake up Christmas morning with a fairly fresh blanket of snow on the ground. It’d be even better if snow were falling, too.
But the chances of a White Christmas in Schuylkill County, sadly, are relatively low.
Probability of a White Christmas in Schuylkill County
A White Christmas here in the coal region isn’t impossible, however. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), much of Schuylkill County has about a 1 in 4 chance of getting a White Christmas. Some places are even higher than that.
NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) just released a map showing where in America a White Christmas happens most often.
OK, so we’re no Idaho or Minnesota when it comes to chances at a White Christmas, it’s definitely a possibility it’ll happen here. Here’s a map NOAA created showing where a postcard Christmas Day could happen more often than not. White shaded areas are where snow is most likely by Christmas.
It’s not all places in the extreme northern contiguous US that are likely to get a White Christmas. There’s actually a good chance of it happening right here in Pennsylvania, but not on this side of the state.
In some locations of the Allegheny Mountains, there’s a better than 2 in 3 chance of getting a White Christmas.
NOAA used weather data from 1991-2020 to create this map and general a probability rate for a White Christmas. In Schuylkill County, data was gathered from 3 different weather stations, 2 near Tamaqua and another in Mahanoy City.
In Mahanoy City, there’s actually a 41% chance of a White Christmas. The probability of one in Tamaqua is about 35%.
The chances of a White Christmas in Schuylkill County decrease as you go south and west. That’s where there’s a 25% chance of a White Christmas.
Best Chance of a White Christmas in Pennsylvania
Here are the top 10 places to experience a White Christmas in Pennsylvania:
- Kane – 70.2%
- Union City – 67.2
- Laurel Summit – 66.2
- Clermont – 65.1
- Titusville – 63.9
- Bradford – 63.5
- Chandlers Valley – 63.3
- Montrose – 62.4
- Glen Hazel – 59.8
- Coudersport – 59.7
The Definition of White Christmas
Many people believe a White Christmas means it’s going to snow on Christmas Day. But the rule defining a White Christmas means there’s at least 1 inch of snow on the ground by Christmas morning..
READ MORE:
- More Than 2,000 Ride the Santa Train This Weekend in Minersville
- Christmas Tree Returns to Garfield Square in Pottsville
- Schuylkill County Courthouse Unveils 2021 Christmas Tree
- Christmas Season Begins but High Winds Alter Santa’s Arrival in Shenandoah
Images: Depositphotos, NOAA
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