Dear Santa, Will Cheyenne Get a White Christmas This Year?

Nothing makes Christmas more picturesque than a blanket of fluffy, white snow on the ground. In a perfect world, every Christmas is a White Christmas! But alas, Cheyenne doesn't always get a White Christmas...some years, we don't even see snow until after New Year's!

But what about this year? Will this Christmas be, in the words of Irving Berlin, "merry and bright" and full of snow?

What Are the Chances of a White Christmas in Cheyenne?

The US National Weather Service of Cheyenne recently shared an intriguing graphic that breaks down our beautiful city's chances of a White Christmas based on Christmases past.

According to the graphic, Cheyenne has had 32 variations of a White Christmas in the last 70 years. The NWS data included three types of snowfall records:

1. No snow on the ground, but new snow fell on Christmas.
2. 1 to 3 inches of snow depth on Christmas.
3. Over 3 inches of snow depth on Christmas.

Chances are pretty slim for a White Christmas. Based on the data, Cheyenne only has about a 46% chance of snow on Christmas. The chance of a full blanket of snow on Christmas is significantly lower - there's only a 7% chance of enough snow falling to build a snowman on Christmas Day.

What Does the Forecast Say About Christmas Weather This Year?

We all know the weather can change in an instant here in Cheyenne. That said, the forecast this week has been relatively reliable. The NWS Cheyenne has Christmas Day pegged for a mild 40+ degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. It seems we'll be getting our cold Christmas weather early, with Wednesday through Friday seeing windchill in the negatives.

So, perhaps we won't have a White Christmas in Cheyenne this year...but there's always next year to look forward to.