WITH the big day fast approaching, many are dreaming of a white Christmas.
But images of opening presents before frolicking in the snow, all to the soundtrack of Bing Crosby, may have to remain as dreams.
The Met Office can accurately predict if it will be a white Christmas up to five days in advance of the big day, and unfortunately it’s not looking likely…
What is a white Christmas?
The strict definition is that one flake of snow has to fall within the 24 hours of Christmas Day somewhere in the UK for The Met Office to deem it a white Christmas.
That’s happened 38 times in the last 54 years which means, if you crunch the numbers, more than half of Christmas Days should see snow.
But the traditional Christmas card snowy scene is unlikely – there has only been a covering of snow on the ground at more than 40% of weather stations four times in the past 51 years.
The likelihood of white Christmases has also been affected by climate change, with temperatures across the globe rising.
Generally, snow is most likely in the UK between January and March.
When was the last one?
In 2010, 80% of The Met Office’s weather stations reported lying snow, and 19% recorded snow or sleet falling.
This was the last time the UK had an official white Christmas, with 2009 also seeing some snow coverage.
2015 almost counts, with 10% of the stations experiencing snow showers.
Where to go if you want some snow
Unsurprisingly, the Nordic and Baltic regions are probably the best bet if you want a snowy Christmas break.
The likes of Oslo, Tallinn, Vilnius and St Petersburg have a high probability of having a white Christmas.
Further south, Prague and Salzburg have around a 40% chance of having some snow cover on December 25th.
You could, of course, head to the North Pole!
To check the probability of snow in your location, try this handy tool from MetCheck.
The Christmas forecast for Scotland
Across the UK, the festive period will see a transition from settled conditions to more variable conditions.
December 25th should see cloudy skies and temperatures of around 8°C across Scotland. There’ll be some light showers.
Mild and breezy conditions are expected before rain comes in from Christmas Day onwards.
Heavy winds and showers are expected into the New Year with some snow possible in the north.
Read more from The Met Office here.
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