Редкий снегопад на Рождество 2004 года в США

The 2004 Christmas Eve United States winter storm was a rare weather event that took place in Louisiana and Texas in the United States on December 24, 2004, before the storm moved northeast to affect the coastal sections of the Mid Atlantic states and New England in the succeeding few days. This was a different storm from the historic event that struck the Midwest and southern Canada around December 23 from another cyclone which preceded this storm. The event involved a thin band of snowfall with unusually cold temperatures for the middle Texas coast, and caused dozens of varied weather records to be shattered. It was the most significant snow for the Texas Gulf Coast, and deep South Texas, since February 1895.

There had been indications for up to a week before the event that a frontal wave in the Gulf of Mexico was expected to track far enough to the south (along roughly the 26th parallel) to lead to snow along the Gulf of Mexico coastline of the United States.

A surface cyclone formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on December 24 due to a shortwave aloft, and moved eastward through the western Gulf of Mexico, bringing banded snowfall to the middle Texas coast. The extratropical cyclone moved east, then northeast, tracking across the northern peninsula of Florida early on December 26 before moving about 100 miles (200 km) offshore the Southeast, paralleling the coast. Continuing to deepen, the developing storm moved about 200 miles (300 km) offshore the Mid Atlantic states, New England, and Atlantic Canada on December 27 before moving out to sea.

As the cyclone tracked through Florida offshore the Southeast, up to an inch of freezing rain and sleet fell at Augusta and Aiken.

Several inches of snow fell across portions of the state, with the highest amount noted of at Ahoskie.

Several locations across the Tidewater reported over a foot of snow, with the highest amount of reported at Quinby and Tabb. Frontogenesis (strengthening temperature gradient) within the comma head of the extratropical cyclone between the 500 hPa and 700 hPa layers (or 10 20 kft) contributed to the banded snow seen across this region. It led to the snowiest December across the Norfolk area since 1958.

Light to moderate snow fell on the Eastern Shore, with the highest amount of measured at Shelltown.

On December 25, 2004, there was light to moderate snows fall across portions of the state, with the highest amount of falling at Mount Holly.

Southeastern sections of the state saw the snowfall. The highest amount reported was at East Hampton.

Moderate to heavy snow fell across much of the state. The highest total reported was at East Killingly.

Heavy snow fell across portions of Maine. The highest amount reported was from Whiting where was measured.