NEW YORK – For the first time in 15 years, New York City woke up to a white Christmas with snow on the ground in Central Park.

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in New York were out in Central Park on Christmas morning measuring the recent snowfall. With at least an inch of snow on the ground, the NWS declared this the city’s first white Christmas since 2009.

While holiday films give a picturesque idea of ​​Christmas in snowy New York, an official white Christmas is actually rare. Since 1983, there have only been four times on December 25 that snow measurements met the required snow depth in inches on the ground for a white Christmas.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Is there anything more beautiful than snow in New York City? How about snow on Christmas Eve?! The Big Apple’s snowiest Christmas Eve ever was in 1912 with 11.4 inches; this is the same year the Titanic sank! The last white Christmas was in 2009.

(FOX Weather)

The largest snowfall ever recorded in Central Park on Christmas occurred in 1909, when 7 inches fell on the ground.

After a cloudy Christmas morning this year, the sun is breaking through and the city is expected to reach highs of 36 degrees.