December 23, 1998 transcript # 265-3
Subject(s): christmas, snow
Title: White Christmas In San Francisco

Hi, I'm Dave Thurlow and this is The Weather Notebook. Growing up in New England, one of my fondest memories was the anticipation of snow on Christmas. But what about kids that live in a region of warm winters and palm trees? Weather Notebook Correspondent Beth Tokar asked kids in San Francisco what the words White Christmas reminds them of, and what it means.

Kid 1 "It doesn't remind me of anything I've ever heard of."

Kid 2 "I don't really know."

Kid 3 "I don't know what it means at all."

Beth: Here in San Francisco, it just doesn't snow. So the phrase "White Christmas" leaves some kids scratching their heads, and using their imaginations.

Kid 1 "I think it means a whiteout on Christmas?"

Kid 3 "It's very cold, and there's polar bears and penguins and whales."

Beth: But sadly, most San Francisco kids know they're far more likely to hear cable car bells than the sleigh variety.

Kid 4 "I hate California because there's no snow!"

Kid 5 "There's no snow really. It's just sort of a cold day in December."

Beth: And not all that cold, really ñ it averages 47 degrees here in December. But wait!

Kid 4 "It snows in San Francisco. Long ago. It did!"

Beth: Indeed it did. In 1856 when a glorious 2.5 inches fell on Christmas Day. But in the 142 years since then, it's snowed only 10 times, and never again on Christmas. Which doesn't stop a kid from dreaming.

Kid 6 "Me and my friends would probably have snowball fights and like sled down our hill."

Kid 7 "I think about skiing, snowboarding, bobsledding, tobogganing, snowmen, winter wonderland really."

Beth: But given the odds, what can a snow-loving young person do?

Kid 8 "You buy a fake tree and you pour fake snow on it and you have presents!"

Beth: Just maybe after 142 years, wish for a little snow on Christmas? In San Francisco, I'm Beth Tokar.

Well there'll be a pile of snow at the Mount Washington Observatory on Christmas and all of us here hope you have happy holidays regardless of the weather.

Live view of the Bay Bridge from the Bank Of America Clocktower Building.