Overview
- To count as a white Christmas, the Met Office requires at least one observed snowflake falling during the 24 hours of 25 December.
- Current regional probabilities place western Scotland at 26.7%, Wales at 20%, north west, southern and south west England at 13.3%, and the Midlands at 6.7%.
- Forecaster Jim Dale names northern cities as the likeliest candidates for festive flakes, highlighting Inverness, Stirling, Perth, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Carlisle, Newcastle and Lancaster.
- The Met Office notes that the heaviest UK snow typically occurs when air temperatures are between 0°C and 2°C, with warmer conditions turning flakes to sleet or rain.
- Recent records show a technical white Christmas in 2023 with 11% of stations reporting falling snow, and the last widespread event in 2010; the public is advised to start checking local forecasts from around 20 December.