The odds of 1, 3 and 5 inches of snow on the ground on December 25, from the 1991 to 2020 NOAA normals, with how many of the last ten Christmases were white where the station reported.
White Christmas odds at Nebraska reference stations
Station
Elevation
1 inch+
3 inch+
5 inch+
Last 10
Grand Island Airporta long shot
1,840 ft
32%
18%
8%
3 of 10
Hayes Center 1NWa long shot
3,045 ft
30%
13%
5%
3 of 10
Norfolk Karl Stefan Airporta coin flip
1,551 ft
42%
18%
9%
3 of 10
North Platte Regional Airporta long shot
2,778 ft
26%
12%
4%
2 of 10
Scottsbluff Heilig Airporta long shot
3,945 ft
33%
19%
11%
2 of 10
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Best bets
The best bets in Nebraska
The highest and northernmost stations in Nebraska have the best odds, and elevation does most of the work. The top four are Gordon, Hemingford, Bloomfield and Newcastle.
It depends on where. The best station of the 60 we track is Gordon at 55%, a coin flip, and the typical station is 35%. The ZIP lookup above gives your own number.
NOAA counts at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on the morning of December 25. The odds here are the share of years from 1991 to 2020 that met that.
At the highest and northernmost stations: Gordon (55%), Hemingford (54%) and Bloomfield (53%). Elevation does most of the work, so a drive into the hills can change the odds a lot.
32% for 1 inch or more on the ground, 18% for 3 inches and 8% for 5 inches, at Grand Island Airport (1,840 feet).
3 of the last 10 Christmases with a report had at least 1 inch of snow on the ground at Grand Island Airport.
At Gordon, the odds of 5 inches or more are 19%. Most stations are lower; the state page table shows 1, 3 and 5 inch odds for each reference station.
Scottsbluff Heilig had 14.2 inches on the ground on Christmas morning 2017, the deepest we see in the last 10 years.
From December 10, the ZIP lookup adds a forecast of the snow on the ground Christmas morning. It shifts from day to day until the last few days.
