The official National Weather Service qualification for a white Christmas is: 1 inch of snow on the ground at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning.
The National Weather Service said Central Park's snow depth on Wednesday at 7 a.m. was 1 inch.
On any given year, there is only 13% chance of a white Christmas for the city.
During the last white Christmas in the city, two inches of snow was recorded on the ground.
NWS said there was light snowfall on Christmas in 2017 and in 2003, but there was no accumulation.
And in 2002, there was a record 5 inches of snow that fell before it turned to rain.
Boston is also getting a white Christmas this year, with 4 inches of snow on the ground.
Most of this snow will melt slowly because it'll be colder than normal on Christmas Day and Thursday.
Milder weather is forecast to move in by the weekend, with temperatures in the 40s in New York and 50s in Chicago.
(ABC News contributed to this report.)
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