It’s possible that Indianapolis will see snow on Christmas Day 2022. But whether it will fall from the sky or already be on the ground remains to be seen, according to local meteorologists. One thing is certain: Christmas this year is predicted to be bitterly cold🇧🇷
“The probability of (a white Christmas) is definitely higher this year than it has been in the past,” said Andrew White, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. “We’re looking at the potential for somewhere in the Thursday through Friday period where we could likely see some snow accumulating in central Indiana.”
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An upper-level system will be moving through the area possibly later in the week, according to White, who said any potential blizzards will likely remain through the weekend as temperatures drop into the single digits and possibly below zero.
Forecasters said parts of central Indiana are likely to experience icy and windy weather as well. Wind chill Friday and Saturday mornings can dip to -15 to -20 degrees, according to White, who noted that Indianapolis may have one of the coldest Christmases in recent memory.
“It’s definitely going to be a cold Christmas whether we get snow or not,” White said.
When was the last time Indianapolis had a white Christmas?
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The last time it snowed on Christmas Day in Indianapolis was in 2020, according to data provided last year by the NWS.
Records of snowfall in the central Indiana area on Christmas Day have been recorded since 1871. Over the past 151 years, meteorologists say there have been 86 times when a trace of snow has fallen or already lay on the ground in Indianapolis.
Playing odds, that gives Indianapolis an overall probability of 57%, which means that nearly 6 out of 10 years, on average, will see either a trace of snow on Christmas Day or snow already on the ground, according to the NWS. .
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Meteorologists say that the heaviest Christmas Day snowfall in Indianapolis occurred in 1909, with 5.9 inches covering the area. The greatest snow depth on record happened more recently, with 9 inches of snow on the ground on Christmas Day 2004.
weather forecast in Indianapolis
On Tuesday, December 20th, forecasters were predicting cold and icy conditions for the central Indiana area heading into Christmas.
Tuesday: Sunny with maximum close to 38. Calm wind.
Tuesday night: Rising clouds, low around 23. Light wind.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with highs near 39. Light wind shifting east northeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday night: Sparse rain and snow showers between 1-4 am, then scattered rain showers after 4 am Cloudy, lows around 32. East southeast wind 9-11 mph, gusting up to 18 mph. The chance of rain is 40%.
Thursday: Showers, mostly after 1 pm. South wind around 18 km/h, with gusts that can reach 29 km/h. The chance of rain is 90%. High close to 41. Further precipitation amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch possible.
Thursday night: Showers of rain and snow, becoming all snow after 22:00. The snow can be heavy at times. Widespread snow after 22:00. Low around -3. Windy. The chance of rain is 90%. New amounts of precipitation between a quarter and a half inch are possible.
Friday: Scattered snow showers, mostly before 1:00 pm Areas of blown snow. Mostly cloudy and cold, with highs close to 1. Breezy. The chance of rain is 30%.
Friday night: Irregular snowfall before 7 pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows around -2. windy.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy and cool, with highs around 7. Breezy.
Saturday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 0.
Christmas day: Mostly sunny and cool, with highs around 7.
Sunday night: 20% chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 3.
Monday: 30% chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with highs close to 23.
John Tufts covers breaking news and trends for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com