How Often Does Sioux Falls Actually Have a White Christmas?

Christmas in Sioux Falls is a great time of year. From the annual Parade of Lights downtown, to all the lights in Falls Park during the Winter Wonderland, and the general cozy winter feeling the city has.

But Christmas falls right at the start of winter. And winter in South Dakota can be epic and terrible. We're known for the snow, cold, and wind. So, you'd be safe to assume that Christmas in Sioux Falls is a freezing, snow-covered holiday.

That's not quite true. For Sioux Falls, we get the majority of our snow in February, March, and April. December can deliver an occasional snowstorm, but it's also just as likely to be dry and cold for Santa's arrival.

RELATED: The Sioux Falls Parade of Lights Returns This Holiday Season

Sioux Falls’ Snowiest Christmases in History

Looking back at the data collected by the great folks at the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, we can find out which Christmases were the snowiest over the last century and a half.

Last year, 2024, it was a dry and chilly day. No snow and high temperatures near 40 degrees. But we don't have to go that far back in time to find the snowiest Christmas in Sioux Falls history.

Sioux Falls' Snowiest Christmases

About 25 of the Christmases in Sioux Falls' recorded history received a trace of snow. For some of those days there was a bit of snow on the ground when the white Christmas happened.

On three Christmas Days (1916, 2007, 2015), Sioux Falls received four inches of snow. In 2007, we got 4.9 inches.

The Next Snowiest Christmas was in 1945, when the city was blanketed with 10 inches of snow.

WATCH: Christmas 1987 in Canton, SD

Sioux Falls' Snow For Christmas (So Far)

An honorable mention goes out to Christmas 1968. That day, Sioux Falls got about two and a half inches of fresh snow. Not much, BUT it fell on the 25 inches already on the ground.