Climate Watch

By Rick Thoman Alaska Climate Specialist Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy International Arctic Research Center/University of Alaska Fairbanks

Christmas weather in western Alaska has sometimes been stormy and sometimes tranquil. One of the coldest Christmas’ was in 1954, that year the high temperature in Nome was only -23°F.

1957 also saw a cold Christmas, with low temperatures of -42°F at Unalakleet and -32°F at Nome.

Recent Christmases have not been nearly so cold. In the 21st century, only two Christmases, 2003 and 2019, had a high temperature below zero and the temperature has dropped to -20°F or lower on only one Christmas in the past 30 years.

Temperatures above freezing on Christmas have been rare; the mildest Christmas in Nome was in 1996, which saw a high of 37°F —and believe it or not— in 1971 Wales reported a high temperature of 42°F with a third of an inch of rain from late on Christmas Eve into Christmas morning.

Perhaps surprisingly, during the past 117 years of weather record keeping there hasn’t been any real trend in Christmas Day temperatures. Like most of northern Alaska, a white Christmas is nearly a sure thing. In the past century Nome has seen only one Christmas without at least an inch of snow on the ground: that was in 1969 and was part of the very dry winter of 1969/70.

In contrast, the deepest Christmas snowpack was 44 inches back in 1931.

Whatever Christmas 2023 brings us weather-wise, here’s wishing you and yours a peaceful and joyous holiday season.