Did You Snow This?

[Lee Borgersen]

   Question of the week?

Q: Historically speaking, how often do we have a white Christmas in Minnesota?

A:  Having a white Christmas is generally defined as having 1 inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. In the Twin Cities, this happens about 72 percent of the time. In northern Minnesota, the chance of a white Christmas is 90 percent or greater. In the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Lake Superior Highlands, a white Christmas is almost guaranteed. The chances decrease to the south and west, down to around 60 percent in far southwestern Minnesota.

For more details, including the probabilities of various snow depths in select cities, visit the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/climate/summaries_and_publications/white_christmas.html.

Pete Boulay, assistant state climatologist