(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

The early November snow of 2022 and cold temperatures made Christmas Day in Kamloops and the Okanagan the snowiest in the past decade.

There were 18 centimetres of snow on the ground in Kelowna with at least some snow falling every day from Dec. 23 to 30 last year. There were 7 cm on the ground in Kamloops with 0.2 cm falling on Christmas Day.

Despite a couple of early December snowfalls this year, warmer weather removed most of it and the long range forecast isn't promising.

Environment Canada only forecasts a week in advance and meteorologists there always caution that even that far ahead predicting precipitation amounts is not very reliable. But non-government weather forecasting services take a different approach.

The Weather Network offers a 14-day forecast.

It’s showing a high of 4 Celsius for Kelowna on Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25, following on 4 C to 6 C during the weekend before. Overnight lows are expected to be above freezing and no precipitation is forecast.

AccuWeather offers forecasts for months in advance.

It shows Kelowna having a slight chance of some snow on Christmas day with a high of 2 C, a low of 1 C and a 55% chance of “a little snow.”

For Kamloops, there’s a 65% chance of “snow at times” on Christmas Day, according to AccuWeather, but the high is forecast at 5 C with a low of 1 C.

The Weather Network for its part is also calling for a high of 5 C in Kamloops with lows above freezing and no precipitation.

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Historically, Kelowna at 56% has a better chance of snow on Christmas Day than Kamloops at 52%.

Environment Canada’s historical records show that Kamloops had no snow on the ground on Christmas Day from 2014 to 2018, and only a trace of snow in 2019, meaning it was likely a green Christmas for most.

Kelowna data only shows one year (2014) in the last decade with no snow on the ground, although the 1 cm at the UBC Okanagan weather station in 2018 likely meant no snow in the lower elevation areas of the city.

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