Will Wichita see a white Christmas? See what one forecaster says about the holiday
If you were dreaming of a white Christmas in Wichita for 2024, you’ll have to hold onto that hope for next year.
“Absolutely, we are not going to be getting a white Christmas,” said Andy Kleinsasser, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.
According to the National Weather Service’s website, there have only been 13 white Christmases in Wichita since 1888, which means the city has only a 10% chance of seeing snow on Christmas every year.
Overall, it’s looking like a quiet day weather-wise for Wichita on Dec. 25.
“It’s looking like no big weather systems [and] no big winter storms,” Kleinsasser said.
Not only will it be a calm day precipitation-wise, but the current trend of warmer temperatures will continue. The National Weather Service’s forecast shows a sunny day with a high around 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Normal high temperatures this time of year are below to mid-40s, and looks like we’ll be in the 50s on Christmas,” Kleinsasser said.
When will Wichita see its first snow?
The first snow of the season usually happens in the beginning of December.
“That has come and gone, and we still haven’t had our first measurable snow,” Kleinsasser said. “It’s not looking like we’re going to see it probably ... [by] the end of December.”
So, when exactly will the city see its first snow? That’s too early to tell, Kleinsasser said.
“We’ll have to wait until January [to] see,” Kleinsasser said.
Here’s this week’s weather forecast leading up to Christmas, from the National Weather Service:
- Friday: Sunny day with a high of around 36 and a low near 23. Wind gusts could reach 21 miles per hour.
- Saturday: Sunny day with a high of around 43 and a low of 28.
- Sunday: Sunny day and a high of 51 with a cloudy night and low of 40.
- Monday: Cloudy day with a high of around 54. There’s a 20% chance of rain after midnight and a low of 39.
- Tuesday (Christmas Eve): Partly sunny day with a high of 52 and partly cloudy night with a low of 36.
