Here are the last five times Saskatoon had a brown Christmas

The lack of snow in Saskatchewan so late in December is a hot topic of conversation, but it’s not so out of the ordinary, according to weather records.

“[The year] 1997 is historic. People remember that on the prairies, there was just no snow around,” said David Phillips, Climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

That was an El Niño year, which Phillips says is also happening this year.

Saskatoon and Regina were both snowless in 1997 as well as in 2018.

“People remember that they might have been more likely to golf than ski,” Phillips said.

To be classified as a white Christmas, Environment Canada measurements need to indicate two centimetres of snow on the ground.

Based on statistics measured from automatic weather stations at the Saskatoon and Regina airports, these are the last times the two cities celebrated Christmas without snow on the ground:

Saskatoon

2018, 2016, 2011, 2003, 1997

Regina

2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2002, 1997, 1987, 1979, 1963

Phillips says it’s interesting to note that in Regina between 2017 and 2020 Christmas was consistently brown.

At businesses like The Bike Doctor, staff are seeing more people commuting by bike since conditions are favorable, but normally at this time of year they’d have a lot more interest in a specialty bike.

“It’s unique not having any snow, and our staff and biking enthusiasts have been waiting to bring out the fat tire bikes and have some fun,” Greg Lautner, Bike Doctor sales manager told CTV News.

The bikes with extra big tires have become popular for snow riding but can also be all terrain.

“Fat biking can sometimes be delegated like a ski season,” Lautner said.

If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, our weather expert says you shouldn’t give up hope just yet.

“Come next week and then to Christmas, the world could change. We could see some weather system that comes in from Colorado or other parts of the USA pacific and bump into some cool air,” Phillips says.

With just over ten days to go until Christmas, this expert isn’t placing any bets either way.

“It wasn’t even necessary to dream about a white Christmas, it was guaranteed, but now people are not going to have to dream but beg and hope and pray for a white Christmas.”

According to Phillips, with climate change having a significant impact on our weather, one day, in the future, we may find that having snow before Christmas is the anomaly.