What are the chances of a white Christmas in 2024?

INDIANAPOLIS — The definition of a White Christmas is having at least one inch of snow on the ground, and the chances of this happening in Indianapolis in 2024 are slim.

Of the last 81 Christmases in Indy (using snow depth data from 1943-2023), it has only been a White Christmas 23 times. Since 2000, there have only been six times.

The most recent occurrence was in 2022 when we had 1″ of snow on the ground. You may also remember the highest snow depth of 9″ back in 2004.

This year, temperatures will warm leading up to the holiday. There may be a better chance of rain showers instead of snow.

Despite Mother Nature not cooperating for the holiday, we have had optimal conditions this year for creating man-made snow.

Brian Cooley is the CEO of Outdoor Excursions, Inc., which operates Koteewi Run Seasonal Slopes in Hamilton County. This year, he got an early start on creating this snow tubing slope thanks to cooperative weather.

“I started making snow here on Thanksgiving night,” Cooley said. “Everybody remembers how cold it was to finish Thanksgiving and how cold December was to start.”

At Koteewi, water from a 20-acre lake is used to create the snow. The water runs through pipes and hydrants, then ultimately gets blown across the hill by snow guns.

“When all my snow guns are running, I’m pumping over 500 gallons of water a minute,” explained Cooley. “Essentially what you’re doing is just creating a micro-blizzard.”

Thanks to the cool temperatures, enough snow was created to last through the season. Cooley expects the season to last until March this year, which is a big extension from the past.

“The last couple of years, we had warm winters,” he said. “We didn’t get open until January, and we were only open a real short time.”

There is enough snow at the top of the hill right now to make it the tallest point in Hamilton County.

Going forward, the team will work to maintain the lane bumpers and surface of the snow, which can be impacted by rain and mild temperatures.

You can find more about Koteewi Run Seasonal Slopes here.

Remember to check back with our Storm Team for updates to see if we have any chances for a White Christmas this year.