2 weeks Ago By Richard Ashmore
Exciting new predictions have emerged for the parts of the country which could enjoy a White Christmas this year. The odds of a seasonal snowfall on December 25 are always hotly anticipated and it's been revealed some areas could have a high chance of snow for the big day in 2024. Weather expert Jim Dale, Founder and the Senior Meteorological Consultant at British Weather Services, has told Express.
co.uk there could be something of a north-south divide with a higher chance of a flurry for northern towns and cities. He said: "At this stage.
.. there’s everything to play for in this particular lottery.
" The Met Office defines a White Christmas occuring if at least one snowflake is observed falling in the 24 hours of December 25 anywhere in the UK. The last snowy Christmas Day recorded was 2022 when nearly 10% of Met Office weather stations recorded snowfall, although the flurries did not settle on the ground. Mr Dale told Express.
co.uk Scottish cities - such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen - could expect odds of around 3-1 against a White Christmas. And he added those odds could drop to 2-1 against for towns like Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands.
For England and Wales, Mr Dale said the stakes were currently stacked against a powder-covered day. He said: "If we are going by recent trends then all regions start odds against any snow falling, significantly against across southern parts of the UK. "Odds closer to 3-1 against for Scottish cities and 2-1 for the likes of Aviemore.
Everything depends on the airstream of the day and the moisture field." According to the Met Office before 2022, 2021 and 2020 were also white Christmases, with 6% of weather stations recording snow falling in both years, but less than 1% of stations reported any snow lying on the ground in 2021 and only 4% in 2020. There was no record of snow falling at any station in the UK in 2018, or in 2019.
The weather agency states: "The last widespread White Christmas in the UK was in 2010. It was extremely unusual, as not only was there snow on the ground at 83% of stations (the highest amount ever recorded) but snow or sleet also fell at 19% of stations. "However, for most parts of the United Kingdom, Christmas is only at the beginning of the period when it's likely to snow.
"We are more likely to see snow between January and March than in December, with snow or sleet falling an average 3.9 days in December, compared to 5.3 days in January, 5.
6 days in February and 4.2 days in March.".
