Britain's chances of experiencing a white Christmas have dramatically improved according to leading bookmakers, who have significantly slashed their odds following the Met Office's first long-range outlook for the festive period.
Bookmakers Back Winter Wonderland
Coral has cut its odds to 4/6 on snow falling anywhere in the UK on Christmas Day, while William Hill is now offering evens. The betting shift suggests there's more than a 50% chance of festive snowfall across the country.
For those hoping to see snow in the capital, London is currently rated at 4/1 with Coral and 6/1 with William Hill. The dramatic odds reduction comes as meteorologists analyse developing weather patterns that could bring seasonal conditions to parts of the UK.
Regional Variations and Meteorological Insights
The Met Office revealed that conditions are likely to be 'unsettled' towards the end of December, with the wettest and windiest weather probable in the North West of the UK. Drier and calmer periods are more likely in South East England, with temperatures set to be 'above average overall'.
BBC weather presenter Sarah Keith-Lucas emphasised that forecasting snow in the UK is 'notoriously difficult'. She explained: 'The chances of festive snowfall vary a lot in different locations, with much better odds the further north and the higher up you venture.'
The places most likely to receive a white Christmas Day include northern and eastern Scotland, northern England, North Wales and the North West Midlands according to meteorological experts.
City-by-City Odds Analysis
Coral's detailed pricing shows Glasgow leads at evens, followed by Edinburgh at 5/4 and Newcastle at 7/4. The firm has Manchester and Belfast both at 2/1, Birmingham at 5/2 and London at 4/1.
William Hill presents a similar picture, with Aberdeen as the likeliest UK city to see snow on Christmas Day at odds of evens. Newcastle at 6/4 leads for cities in England, while Glasgow and Edinburgh are both priced at 5/4. Belfast stands at 2/1 and Leeds at 5/2 - the same price as New York City.
John Hill, Coral spokesman, told the Daily Mail: 'Those dreaming of a White Christmas this year may just get their wish. We have slashed the odds on snow falling on Christmas Day.'
Historical Context and Official Definitions
The Met Office can declare an official 'white Christmas' when a single snowflake is observed falling on the 24 hours of 25 December. Since 2020, each year except 2024 has officially been a white Christmas, although very few places actually reported snow settling in all of those years.
Historical data covering 1991 to 2020 shows snow has settled on the ground for an average of three days in December, compared to 3.3 days in January and 3.4 days in February. Since 1960, around half of the years have seen at least 5% of weather stations record snow falling on Christmas Day.
There has only been a widespread covering of snow on the ground - where more than 40% of stations in the UK report snow at 9am - four times since 1960: in 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010. The latter recorded snow on the ground at 83% of stations - the highest amount ever recorded.
The Met Office maintains that they can 'accurately forecast if snow is likely on any given Christmas Day up to five days beforehand', and will not issue any official snow forecast this far in advance.
