The Great Christmas Eve Snow Storm of 2004
In 2004, some very unlikely places experienced a white Christmas.
Quick Reference
- When: December 24-25, 2004.
- Where: Southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.
- Brownsville, Texas: 1.5 inches, first measurable snow in 105 years.
- Houston: First white Christmas ever recorded.
- Corpus Christi: 5.2 inches, more snow than every previous year combined.
While it is fairly common for Northern states to get a few inches of snow on Christmas Eve, it is very rare for the South to get even an airborne flurry. Any accumulation is nearly unprecedented.
That is why the Great Christmas Eve Snow Storm in southeast Texas and Louisiana was such a surprise. The harsh, cold weather and the snow that stuck to the ground ushered in a true white Christmas in many places. It even covered palm trees with snow. Just consider:
By the Numbers
* Brownsville, Texas experienced 1.5 inches of snow, the first measurable snowfall at the city in 105 years (since the Great Blizzard of 1899).
* New Orleans had its first white Christmas in 50 years.
* Houston, Texas had its first white Christmas ever.
* In Corpus Christi, Texas, 5.2 inches of snow fell (more snow than had fallen in all previous years combined).
* Across all of southern Texas and southwestern Louisiana, snow fell in places where it had not for anywhere from 15 to 120 years.
At the same time, the Northern U.S. and Canada received barely any snow.
Here is what happened, according to NOAA:
Why It Snowed in Texas
An arctic cold front had pushed across Southeast Texas dropping temperatures below freezing, so plenty of cold air was in place on Christmas Eve when the snow began. What made this event unusual was not just the cold air being in place, but the depth of the cold air that was in place over the area.
Before the heavy snow began on the night of Christmas Eve, the entire depth of the atmosphere over Southeast Texas was below freezing. Normally when winter weather events occur in Southeast Texas, the depth of the cold air is much shallower, resulting in ice (freezing rain or sleet) being a lot more common in these parts than snow.
The morning of Christmas Eve, a strong upper level low was evident on satellite across northern Mexico. Ahead of this system, some snow began across Southeast Texas, but the dry atmosphere kept the snowfall light during the day, resulting in only trace amounts or a light dusting through late afternoon. Eventually, the atmosphere moistened up by late in the day as the upper level low approached from the west.
The upper low moved across South Texas during the nighttime hours Christmas Eve, resulting in a band of heavy snowfall just north of the track of the system. The band of heaviest snowfall, about 20 miles wide, was centered from Victoria to Edna to Bay City to Lake Jackson.
Other Rare Southern Snow Events
| Event | Dates | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Great Blizzard of 1899 | Feb 11-14, 1899 | Snowball fights in Tallahassee, -2 F low |
| Christmas Eve Storm | Dec 24-25, 2004 | Houston’s first-ever white Christmas |
| Atlanta “Snowmageddon” | Jan 28, 2014 | 2-3 inches paralyzed metro Atlanta |
| February 2021 Texas freeze | Feb 11-20, 2021 | Statewide freeze, ERCOT grid failure, 240+ deaths |
The National Weather Service archives every regional snow event, including the unusual ones that show up in the Deep South every few decades.
Do you remember this storm? Tell us in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Great Christmas Eve Snow Storm?
December 24-25, 2004. The heaviest snow fell during the night of Christmas Eve into Christmas morning.
Where did it snow?
Southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana. The heaviest band, about 20 miles wide, ran from Victoria to Edna to Bay City to Lake Jackson.
How much snow fell in Houston?
Enough to give Houston its first-ever white Christmas. Accumulation was a few inches in the city. Corpus Christi got 5.2 inches, more than the city had received in every previous year combined.
Why is snow so rare in southeast Texas?
Southeast Texas usually sits under shallow cold air during a winter storm, which produces freezing rain or sleet rather than snow. The 2004 event was unusual because the entire depth of the atmosphere was below freezing, allowing snow to form and reach the ground.
When was the last time it snowed in Brownsville?
The Great Blizzard of February 1899, 105 years before the 2004 event. Brownsville’s 1.5 inches in 2004 was the first measurable snowfall in the city in over a century.
What was happening in the Northern U.S. that day?
A flipped pattern. While the Gulf Coast was buried, the Northern U.S. and Canada received barely any snow. The arctic cold front had pushed unusually deep into the South, and the storm track sat farther south than usual.
Has the Gulf Coast had any comparable snow events since?
The February 2021 Texas freeze brought snow and ice statewide, paired with a multi-day power-grid failure. The January 2014 Atlanta “Snowmageddon” paralyzed the metro on a smaller accumulation. Neither matched 2004’s combination of widespread coverage and accumulation.
Tell Us
Were you in southeast Texas in December 2004? Tell us in the comments. For more rare-snow reads, see our Great Blizzard of 1899 and historic blizzards entries.
This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
Great Christmas Eve Snowstorm
My husband and I were living in Clear Lake, TX at that time. Both born and raised in Iowa so always little homesick when we didn’t get home for Xmas. We were heading over to friends house for Christmas Eve when it started to snow and was coming down pretty heavy our little jack Russell Rocky was going crazy out on our deck sliding around rolling in it! We made it our friends and their 2 children who were in high school had never seen snow let alone play in it! Was such a magical Christmas and to see all the little snowmen in peoples yards next morn on our way to church! Just told that story this past Xmas once again hard to believe it’s been 19 years ago!
It snowed before in Houston tx and in Houston tx area more than just that time in 2004. But I don’t remember all of the different dates. Because I normally work out side and had to walk in side and outside. For over 30 years or more. But in December and in January and February of 1977 or 1978 we had snow that year also and in 2003 & 2004
I remember it well. My husband and I drove from Ft Lauderdale, Fl with our three children, to spend the holidays with family in Galveston, Tx. My children had never seen snow! Their first experience with snow and the strangest site seeing snow on Galveston beaches!