Widespread snow heading for UK sparks huge change in White Christmas odds
If there's anything more magical than waking up on Christmas Day morning, it's looking outside to see your street blanketed in snow.
So wonderful is the prospect, Bing Crosby even sang about it. But with snow possibly heading this way before the end of November, what are the odds of a white Christmas this year? According to the Met Office, just one snowflake falling somewhere in the UK on December 25 is enough to qualify that year as a white Christmas.
A spokesperson for the forecaster has said: "Since 1960, around half of the years have seen at least 5% of the network record snow falling on Christmas Day. This means we can probably expect more than half of all Christmas Days to be a 'white Christmas'.
"Technically, 2021 was the last white Christmas in the UK, with 6% of stations recording snow falling, but less than 1% of stations reported any snow lying on the ground. Before that, 2020 was also a white Christmas, with 6% of weather stations recording snow falling. However, only 4% of stations reported any snow lying on the ground."
The snow will cover large sections of the UK (WX Charts)But will we be getting snow on Christmas Day this year? Bookmakers BetVictor have priced up the odds for which UK cities are most likely going to see snow on Christmas day, MyLondon reports.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
Using forecasts from various airports around the country, London has been given a 10/1 chance of waking up to snow on December 25. this is neither the highest or lowest odds for the country - Glasgow is the likeliest place, with 7/4 odds, but Liverpool and Dublin are least likely to see snow, with just 12/1 and 16/1 odds.
Elsewhere in the UK, Yorkshire residents can expect the highest chances outside Scotland. Leeds currently has odds of 7/1, while across the Pennines it's a 20% chance of a festive coating in Manchester at 4/1. Belfast citizens can also get their hopes up at 7/2. Other big cities are less likely, with odds of 8/1 for Cardiff, 6/1 for Birmingham, 10/1 for Newcastle and 16/1 for Bristol.
According to the Met Office, there is currently a strong possibility of “showers of a wintry flavour”. Weather maps so far have been showing snow will spread across large parts of the UK from the midlands right up to northern parts of Scotland.
Snowy patches appear to be heading for the eastern strip of England, from just east of Birmingham stretching right up to just south of Edinburgh. There may also be a patch of snow covering large parts of the Scottish Highlands including Inverness.
The Met Office forecast from yesterday (November 17) said: "Temperatures will most-likely be around average for the period as a whole, but as is normal in December, occasional frost and showers of a wintry flavour are possible.” It is December 2nd that we can expect the potential snow according to weather maps from WX Charts, the Daily Star reported.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
