The definition of a white Christmas by the Met Office in the UK is when one snowflake is officially observed falling within the 24 hours of December 25th at one of their sites. While having lying snow on the ground on Christmas Day may be considered a white Christmas by many, it does not meet the official criteria.
Unfortunately, the UK did not experience a white Christmas last year as temperatures did not drop below zero. However, the four years preceding that did have white Christmases. The last time all four UK nations had a white Christmas was in 2010, which saw widespread snowfall across the country, the most since 1959.
In 2010, an impressive 83% of stations reported lying snow, with snow also falling at 19% of stations. This was also the last time Northern Ireland experienced a white Christmas. The deepest snow recorded on Christmas Day was 47cm at Kindrogan in Perthshire back in 1981.
December marks the beginning of the period when snow is likely to fall across most of the UK. On average, lying snow occurs for three days in December, compared to 3.3 days in January, 3.4 days in February, and 1.9 days in March, according to the Met Office.
As for this year, it is still too early to predict whether a technical white Christmas will occur. However, based on statistics, the odds seem to be in our favor. Forecasting snow in the UK is a challenge even just a few days ahead, let alone with 24 days to go.
In terms of weather patterns, the first half of December is expected to be influenced by a cyclonic pattern, bringing mild and unsettled conditions. There is more uncertainty from the middle of the month onwards, but global weather patterns suggest a more settled and potentially colder end of the month.
For more information on wintry weather forecasts and recent snowfall in the UK, you can read further here.
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