Merry Christmas
Christmas will be green this year here in Grand Rapids. But how and why has snow became associated with Christmas? Here is some information as to why snow is associated with Christmas. So, while we will be dreaming of a white Christmas this year here is some information as to how snow became associated with Christmas.
Snow, Ice and Christmas often go together, although why it should be a bit strange! There is no snow or ice in the Christmas story told in the Bible. However, snow does fall in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The hills can get very cold weather from November to April and snow can fall. So, although the Bible story may not have snow in it, Jesus may well have seen some snow in his life!
One of the main reasons that we put Snow and Christmas together was the book ‘A Christmas Carol’ written in 1843 by Charles Dickens. When Charles Dickens was a child, Britain had very heavy snow falls around Christmas, so when he wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’ he put lots of snow and ice in it! He also put snow at Christmas in some of his other books like ‘The Pickwick Papers’. Charles Dickens books were very popular (and still are!) so when many people read Dickens, they thought of snow and Christmas together!
Another connection between snow and Christmas is the Song “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” It was first recorded, in 1942, by Bing Crosby and came from a film called ‘Holiday Inn’,
Officially for a White Christmas there has to be at least 1” of snow on the ground at 7 AM. On average Grand Rapids has that 1” of snow on the ground around 65% of the time but in the last 11 years there have only been 4 with 1” of snow on the ground (2013 8” 2016 5” 2017 3” and 2021 with 1”) The most snow on the ground for Christmas was 22” in 1951. There was 16” in 2000 and 13” in 2008. The coldest maximum was 10° in 1983 and the coldest low was -3° also in 1983 the record high was 65 in 1982.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Slim
The sun is now out here with a temperature of 44. If someone would have told me that it would be 44 on Christmas day with a north wind here in Grand Rapids I don’t think I would have really believed them. But that is what the conditions are now here sunny with a north wind and a temperature of 44.
Slim
The sun came out here too this afternoon. It was really a nice day outside.
Merry Christmas everyone!! Have a beautiful day!
Don’t forget the month of November was below normal temps with above snowfall! December has been a bump in the road and now we can get on with winter and some real cold and snow! Bring it on and get ready to rock!
Hopefully nobody followed the advice of “take it to the bank” for a white Christmas. If you did I’m afraid you lost it all. 😳
Merry Christmas everyone! And thanks Slim! I’ve often wondered why snow is so tied in with Christmas when a good size chunk of the worlds population never even has snow this time of year. In fact the Southern Hemisphere it’s not even Winter, it’s Summer, but it’s still Christmas.
The latest long range snow maps are still trending in the right direction! Let’s see multiple snowstorms in January!
https://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php?p=snku_acc&fh=336
Merry Christmas and let’s get this warm air out here and bring in the incredible arctic air! We want to see the polar vortex and soon! Rock n roll will never die!
Merry Christmas….
I sure was a mild overnight with readings in the low 50’s to upper 40’s before a not so cold front came through. Now even during the overnight hours the temperature reached 52 at Grand Rapids and Lansing and 51 at Muskegon. Those readings are good for the 2nd warmest Christmas at Muskegon, the 4th warmest at Grand Rapids and the 7th warmest at Lansing. There was 0.09″ of rain fall here at my house. At this time it is cloudy and 43 here.
Slim
Merry Christmas MV’s Best get ready for some REAL Winter weather Ho Ho Ho …InDY
You know it!