Although continued rainfall may indicate this Christmas will be a bust, experts say winter is approaching and some parts of the UK could even see a white Christmas.
High pressure is rising, according to the Met Office – meaning that while some areas may see showers, many will see drier and more settled weather.
The UK's National Weather Service added that strong easterly breezes will make it colder, although this is not unusual for this time of year, with temperatures for Christmas Day expected to reach a daytime high of 7C and an overnight low of -3C or -4C. As a result, Jack Frost may accompany Santa Claus.
“Possibly the south coast of England, leading to South Devon and Cornwall. [has] greatest chance of seeing a strange winter squall if there was one [any]Marco Petagna, from the Met Office, told the Guardian: “Of course, for a white Christmas technically now all we need is one snowflake to fall anywhere in the UK. And this is not something unusual, what’s more unusual is that it’s snowing.”
According to Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS), a snowflake has fallen from the sky at Christmas 54 times in the last 66 years, at least somewhere in the UK, and with the exception of 2024, every year since 2020 has technically been considered “white”.
In 2023, 11% of weather stations recorded snow on Christmas Day and 9% in 2022, although no snow fell in either year. Indeed, as RMetS notes, there has only been heavy snow cover at Christmas four times since 1960 – 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010 – with snow on the ground at 83% of stations in 2010, the highest percentage ever recorded.
But anyone expecting a holiday snowball fight will likely be disappointed this year. “The chance of significant snowfall is only about 10%, so nothing significant,” Petagna said.
It wasn't always like this: little ice age This meant that between the 16th and 19th centuries there were more severe winters – perhaps explaining why the works of Charles Dickens, born in 1812, often feature cold and snowy Christmases. In addition, until 1752, when Britain completed its transition to the Gregorian calendar, December 25th fell later in winter.
More recently, particularly severe winters included the winters of 1946–47 and 1962–63. “Most of England remained covered in snow every day from late December to early March 1963,” Met Office. noted.
The rarity of holiday snow cover today is perhaps not a surprise given the climate crisis. Met Office data shows December in UK It has become warmer in recent decades – Met Office experts say these conditions reduce the overall chance of snowfall over Christmas, although natural variability means spells of cold and snow could still occur.
But just because a snowy Christmas is unlikely this year doesn't mean snowballs are a thing of the past: Met Office notes that the majority of snow days in the UK occur between January and March.
As the poet Sarah Coleridge put it: “January brings snow, makes our feet and toes shine.”
