The 2004 Christmas Eve United States winter storm was a rare

weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...

event that took place in

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the United States on December 24, 2004, before the storm moved northeast to affect the coastal sections of the Mid-Atlantic states and

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

in the succeeding few days. This was a different storm from the historic event that struck the Midwest and southern Canada around December 23 from another cyclone which preceded this storm. The event involved a thin band of

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

fall with unusually cold temperatures for the middle Texas coast, and caused dozens of varied weather records to be shattered. It was the most significant snow for the Texas Gulf Coast, and deep South Texas, since February 1895.

Anticipation of the event

There had been indications for up to a week before the event that a frontal wave in the Gulf of Mexico was expected to track far enough to the south (along roughly the 26th parallel) to lead to snow along the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

coastline of the United States.

Synoptic history

A surface cyclone formed in the western

on December 24 due to a shortwave aloft, and moved eastward through the western Gulf of Mexico, bringing banded snowfall to the middle Texas coast. The

extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...

moved east, then northeast, tracking across the northern peninsula of Florida early on December 26 before moving about 100 miles (200 km) offshore the Southeast, paralleling the coast. Continuing to deepen, the developing storm moved about 200 miles (300 km) offshore the Mid-Atlantic states,

, and

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...

on December 27 before moving out to sea.

Effects

Texas and Louisiana

The most noticeable, and unusual, event associated with the storm was the snowfall it produced. Much of the snow fell in southern Texas, along the coast of the

, but some snow, albeit less deep, fell across southern

. Any snowfall in these areas is extremely unusual, perhaps occurring once every twenty years, and these events are usually airborne flurries which melt on contact with the ground. In many places the snow stuck to the ground and accumulated to an appreciable depth. In

Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...

, snow fell to a depth of , the first measurable snowfall at the city in over 100 years, since the

Great Blizzard of 1899 The Great Blizzard of 1899, also known as the Great Arctic Outbreak of 1899 and the St. Valentine's Day Blizzard, was an exceptionally severe winter weather event that affected most of the United States, particularly east of the Rocky Mountains ...

. The fact that the snow accumulated overnight on

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

led to a White Christmas the next morning, something completely foreign to the region. Across all of southern Texas and in southwestern Louisiana, snow fell in places where it had not for anywhere from 15 to 120 years. Near the coast, in

Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...

, of snow fell, more snow than in all previous recorded years combined. This was also the case in

Victoria, Texas Victoria is a small city in South Texas and county seat of Victoria County, Texas. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 as of the 2000 censu ...

, where a significant fell.

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

had its first white Christmas in 50 years. In addition to the unusual occurrence of snow inland, moderate to heavy snow was also reported over the open waters of the

. This is the first significant snow fall in Houston since February 12, 1960, when a snowstorm hit central and south Texas with eight to 10 inches of snow. Some snow totals: *

Alice, Texas Alice is a city in, and the county seat of, Jim Wells County, Texas, United States, in the South Texas region of the state. The population was 19,104 at the 2010 census. Alice was established in 1888. First it was called "Bandana", then "Kleberg ...

: 12 inches (30.48 cm) *

Beeville, Texas Beeville is a city in Bee County, Texas, United States, with a population of 12,863 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bee County and home to the main campus of Coastal Bend College. The area around the city contains three prisons oper ...

: 10.0 inches (25.4 cm) *

: 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) *

: 5.2 inches (13.2 cm) *

El Campo, Texas El Campo is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,350 at the 2020 Census, making it the largest city in Wharton County. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5&nb ...

: 11.0 inches (27.9 cm) *

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

: 4.0 inches (10.16 cm) *

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

: 1.0 inches (2.5 cm) *

Kingsville, Texas Kingsville is a city in the southern region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Kleberg County. Located on the U.S. Route 77 corridor between Corpus Christi and Harlingen, Kingsville is the principal city of the Kingsville Micr ...

: 6.0 inches (15.24 cm) *

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu ...

: 1.2 inches (3.1 cm) *

Laredo, Texas Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the flag of t ...

: 2.0 inches (5.07 cm) *

Mathis, Texas Mathis is a city in San Patricio County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,942 at the 2010 census. History In 1887, when the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad was laying tracks across San Patricio County, Thomas H. Mathis received n ...

: 11 inches (27.9 cm) *

McAllen, Texas McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the 22nd-most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexico–United States border. The city limits extend ...

: 4.0 inches (10.16 cm) *

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

: 0.7 inches or more (1.8 cm) *

Pearland, Texas Pearland ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris counties. The city of Pearland is a principal city within the metropolitan statistical area. At the 2020 U.S. census, t ...

: 2.8 inches (7.3 cm) * Sandia, Texas: 12 inches (30.48 cm) *

: 13.0 inches (33.0 cm)

Georgia and South Carolina

As the cyclone tracked through Florida offshore the Southeast, up to an inch of freezing rain and sleet fell at Augusta and Aiken.

North Carolina

Several inches of snow fell across portions of the state, with the highest amount noted of at Ahoskie.

Virginia

Several locations across the Tidewater reported over a foot of snow, with the highest amount of reported at Quinby and Tabb.Pamela J. Szatanek
STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 7 FOR MAJOR WINTER STORM.
Retrieved on Dec. 2, 2006. Frontogenesis (strengthening temperature gradient) within the comma head of the

between the 500 hPa and 700 hPa layers (or 10-20 kft) contributed to the banded snow seen across this region. It led to the snowiest December across the

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

area since 1958.

Maryland

Light to moderate snow fell on the Eastern Shore, with the highest amount of measured at Shelltown.Bruce Terry
STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 9 FOR MAJOR WINTER STORM.
Retrieved on Dec. 2, 2006.

New Jersey

On December 25, 2004, there was light to moderate snows fall across portions of the state, with the highest amount of falling at Mount Holly.

New York

Southeastern sections of the state saw the snowfall. The highest amount reported was at East Hampton.

Connecticut

Moderate to heavy snow fell across much of the state. The highest total reported was at East Killingly.

Rhode Island

Heavy snow fell statewide. The highest total was at Tiverton.

Massachusetts

The heaviest snowfall from the storm fell across

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. Brewster measured during the event.

New Hampshire

Central and southern sections of the state saw moderate to heavy snow. The highest amount was at Salem.

Vermont

Snow fell across portions of the state during this storm, with falling at a dairy farm in

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

.Jonathan Gates
The Bovine Bugle.
Retrieved on Dec. 2, 2006.

Maine

Heavy snow fell across portions of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

. The highest amount reported was from Whiting where was measured.

References

External links

Information about the storm from the Houston / Galveston National Weather Service Office.

Images from Galveston, Texas

{{DEFAULTSORT:2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

History of Corpus Christi, Texas Natural disasters in Texas Natural disasters in North Carolina Natural disasters in Virginia Natural disasters in New York (state) Natural disasters in Connecticut Natural disasters in Rhode Island Natural disasters in Massachusetts Natural disasters in Vermont Natural disasters in Maine Nor'easters December 2004 events in the United States