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Buffalo, New York |
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CHRISTMAS DAY
THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED ON CHRISTMAS DAY WAS 64 DEGREES IN 1982. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES OCCURRED TWO YEARS EARLIER IN 1980 WHEN THE MERCURY DIPPED TO MINUS 10 DEGREES. NORMALLY, THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AVERAGES NEAR 34 DEGREES AND THE LOW ABOUT 22.
THE GREATEST PRECIPITATION EVER RECORDED ON CHRISTMAS DAY WAS 0.94 INCH WHICH FELL AS A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN 1974. THE MOST SNOWFALL HOWEVER WAS THE 8.4 INCHES WHICH FELL ON CHRISTMAS IN 2002.
IT HAS SNOWED ON 91 OF THE PAST 132 CHRISTMAS DAYS...AND THE WHITEST CHRISTMAS WAS IN 2001 WHEN 19 INCHES OF SNOW WAS ON THE GROUND.
IN 1973 ON CHRISTMAS DAY HEAVY RAINS CAUSED LOCALIZED FLOODING IN PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEW YORK. 1.21 INCHES WAS RECORDED AT THE AIRPORT AND MINOR STREET AND BASEMENT FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN CHEEKTOWAGA, TONAWANDA, AND AMHERST.
ON DECEMBER 24TH, 1978, THE GROUND WAS BARE AND BROWN OVER MOST OF THE BUFFALO AREA AND THERE WERE GOLFERS SPOTTED AT CAZENOVIA PARK. BY CHRISTMAS MORNING, SEVERAL INCHES OF HEAVY, WET SNOW HAD COATED EVERYTHING TO CREATE A STORYBOOK CHRISTMAS SETTING. UNFORTUNATELY, MUCH HEAVIER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS EAST AND SOUTH OF BUFFALO PLAYED HAVOC WITH HOLIDAY TRAVELERS AND STRANDED MOTORISTS.
IN 1983...SNOWSQUALLS BEGAN OVER THE TOWNS SOUTH OF BUFFALO ON DECEMBER 23RD. PROPELLED BY A WEST WIND, THE SQUALLS SHIFTED NORTH TO CLARENCE, CHEEKTOWAGA, AND SOME PARTS OF BUFFALO, AND THEN SOUTH TO SOUTH BUFFALO, LACKAWANNA, AND HAMBURG. THE AIRPORT CLOSED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE 23RD AND 24TH AND THE THRUWAY WAS CLOSED FROM HAMBURG TO THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE STRANDING ABOUT SEVEN HUNDRED PERSONS. REPORTED SNOWFALL AMOUNTS RANGED FROM 7 TO 15 INCHES.
IN 1993...FEARS OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS WERE ALLAYED WITH A VENGEANCE ON THE 24TH AS SNOW SQUALLS DROPPED A RECORD 14.5 INCHES OF SNOW AT THE AIRPORT. HOLIDAY TRAVEL WAS DISRUPTED AS THE HEAVY SNOW INTERFERED WITH AIRLINE SCHEDULES.
CHRISTMAS DAY : PERIOD OF RECORD 132 YEARS : 1873-2007
| TEMPERATURE DATA | |
| HIGHEST | 64 DEGREES IN 1982 |
| LOWEST | -10 DEGREES IN 1980 |
| LOWEST MAXIMUM | 7 DEGREES IN 1983 |
| HIGHEST MINIMUM | 55 DEGREES IN 1982 |
| WARMEST CHRISTMAS DAY | 1982...HIGH 64 LOW 55 MEAN 60 |
| COLDEST CHRISTMAS DAY | 1980...HIGH 16 LOW -10 MEAN 3 |
| AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE | 33.6 DEGREES |
| AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE | 22.0 DEGREES |
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HIGH TEMPERATURE BY 10 DEGREE RANGES |
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| SINGLE DIGITS | TEENS | 20S | 30S | 40S | 50S | 60S | |
| 1 | 10 | 36 | 54 | 24 | 9 | 1 | NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES |
| 1% | 8% | 27% | 40% | 18% | 6% | 1% | |
| PRECIPITATION DATA | |
| MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION | 0.94 INCH IN 1965 AND 1979 |
| MAXIMUM SNOW | 8.4 IN 2002 |
| NUMBER OF TIMES WITH 1.0 INCH SNOWFALL OR MORE | 30 |
| NUMBER OF TIMES WITH 1.0 INCH SNOWFALL OR LESS | 61 |
| NUMBER OF TIMES WITH NO SNOWFALL | 35 |
| SNOWDEPTH |
| GREATEST | 19.0 INCHES IN 2001 |
| OVER 12 INCHES | 6 TIMES |
| OVER 1 INCH | 58 TIMES |
| LESS THAN 1 INCH | 47 |
WEATHER FOR THE PAST TEN CHRISTMAS DAYS
| YEAR | HIGH | LOW | SNOW FALL | SNOW DEPTH | REMARKS |
| 1998 | 26 | 17 | 7.1 | 8.0 | CLOUDY, RECORD SNOWFALL |
| 1999 | 27 | 12 | 1.2 | 2.0 | CLOUDY, AFTERNOON SNOW, BECOMING WIND |
| 2000 | 16 | 2 | 0.4 | 7.0 | PARTLY CLOUDY, LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS |
| 2001 | 27 | 22 | 4.9 | 18.0 | SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH THE DAY |
| 2002 | 30 | 25 | 8.4 | 7.0 | RECORD SNOW, SNOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY |
| 2003 | 34 | 27 | 8.2 | 7.0 | NEAR RECORD SNOWFALL |
| 2004 | 16 | 3 | 0.00 | 6.0 | PARTLY SUNNY BUT COLD |
| 2005 | 41 | 36 | 0.00 | 1.0 | MOSTLY CLOUDY |
| 2006 | 50 | 32 | 0.00 | 0.0 | MOSTLY CLOUDY |
| 2007 | 33 | 26 | 0.00 | 1.0 | MOSTLY CLOUDY |