White Christmas in Detroit?
Historically, Detroit, MI has a 33% chance of a white Christmas — at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on 25 December, about 1 Christmas in 3 — based on NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for Grosse Pointe Farms, 15 km from the city centre.
At least 5 inches is on the ground in 16% of years, and new snow (0.1 inch or more) falls on Christmas Day in 13%.
All US cities ranked Weather alerts now
From 15 December this page also links the National Weather Service forecast for Detroit.
Detroit against other cities
Detroit, MI ranks 13 of 93 US cities on our list.
| Toledo, OH · 85 km | 31% |
|---|---|
| Cleveland, OH · 145 km | 40% |
| Fort Wayne, IN · 218 km | 31% |
| Columbus, OH · 264 km | 23% |
| Pittsburgh, PA · 330 km | 31% |
| Buffalo, NY · 347 km | 53% |
What this page shows, and what it misses
NOAA's smoothed share of Christmases from 1991 to 2020 with snow on the ground at Grosse Pointe Farms (station USC00203477, 613 ft above sea level, 15 km from the centre of Detroit), based on 28 years with data.
It misses this year's weather and local differences: snow cover can change a lot over a few miles and a few hundred feet of height.
FAQQuestions people ask
Will Detroit, MI have a white Christmas?
Historically, Detroit, MI has a 33% chance of a white Christmas — at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on 25 December, about 1 Christmas in 3 — based on NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for Grosse Pointe Farms, 15 km from the city centre. These are long-run odds, not a forecast: from about a week before, check the National Weather Service forecast for Detroit.
How much snow does Detroit, MI usually have on Christmas Day?
At least 5 inches is on the ground in 16% of years, and new snow (0.1 inch or more) falls on Christmas Day in 13%. The median snow depth on 25 December at this station is 4 inches.
How does Detroit, MI compare with other US cities?
Detroit, MI ranks 13 of 93 US cities on this list for the chance of 1 inch or more of snow on the ground on Christmas Day.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily normals; Palecki, M., Durre, I., Applequist, S., Arguez, A. & Lawrimore, J., 2021), public domain. Forecast links: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. Station matching and ranking are Global Incident Tracker's own; NOAA does not endorse them.