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White Christmas blog: Will it be a picturesque Christmas Day?

Posted at 4:50 PM, Dec 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-16 13:35:41-05

DENVER -- Colorado is one of the few states that enjoys temperate weather that isn't too cold, but also enjoys periodic snowfall in metro areas, with heavy snow in the mountains. 

The mix provides enjoyable conditions for winter sports enthusiasts who don't love trudging through feet of snow to get to work, however it calls into question if Christmas Day will see a picturesque blanket of snow in the city. 

Denver7 meteorologists say there's a positive chance for an official old-fashioned white Christmas, meaning measurable snow on the ground on Christmas morning.

According to Denver7 Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson, a storm system looks like it may be developing for late on Dec. 23, dumping between two to four inches of snow on Christmas Eve. There's a chance that will stick until Christmas Day. 

Here's some background on Colorado's history of White Christmases: 

In both 2015 and 2014, measurable snow fell -- an extremely rare occurrence, according to the National Weather Service. 

Those two years also marked a first: the first time on record that snowfall exceeded an inch or more on consecutive Christmas Days. 

That suggests it's highly unlikely a decent measurable snowfall will be recorded in the Denver area on Dec. 25, but that doesn't rule out a white Christmas. 

Out of the past 10 Christmas Days, snow has fallen or been present on eight days, suggesting there's a high likelihood there will be some snow on the ground. 

Denver7 will continue to update this blog with concrete details on the outlook of Christmas Day 2016 as the holiday grows closer. 

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