It isn’t often the South gets a white Christmas.
The last time it happened in Atlanta was 2010. Before that, Chester A. Arthur was in the White House. That was 1882.
With temperatures expected to be in the 50s Thursday, however, dreams of a white Christmas are not likely to come true this year.
It's disappointing, sure. But look on the bright side: no travel problems. AAA projected 98.6 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holiday season, defined as Dec. 23 through Jan. 4. That's a 4 percent increase from last year. About 90 percent of those travelers will be driving, AAA said.
The 2010 storm left icy roads and resulted in the cancellation of 300 flights out of Atlanta. And about 400 customers had no power, according to the Georgia Electric Member Corp.
Atlanta saw a brief smattering of flurries in 1993, but that wasn't enough to be called a "white Christmas." Meteorologically speaking, for Thursday to be a "white Christmas," snow must stay on the ground with an accumulation of at least an inch, according to AccuWeather.com.
But what if you're not staying in the South? What are the chances your white Christmas dream will come true? If your holiday destination is Idaho, Minnesota, Maine, Upstate New York, or the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, you might be in luck, according the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA's prediction is based on the 1981-2010 climate normals, the latest three-decade averages of several measurements, including daily and monthly normal temperatures; precipitation; snowfall; frost/freeze dates; and more.
Still wondering if you have a chance of snow on Christmas? Check out www.willigetawhitechristmas.com. Simply type in your location, and the site will tell you the probability for that area (Atlanta had a zero percent chance).
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