Hopes for a picturesque White Christmas across the United Kingdom have been dealt a blow, according to the latest long-range forecast from the Met Office. Early indications suggest that snow during the festive period is now considered unlikely for most parts of the country.
From Snow Blankets to Seasonal Averages
This new prediction comes just a week after wintry conditions gripped the nation. Snow fell extensively across the UK, reaching as far south as London and the Home Counties, transforming landscapes and causing disruption. However, the cold snap that facilitated this snowfall is finally receding.
Temperatures are now expected to climb back to the seasonal average for late November, effectively staving off the immediate threat of more wintry weather. This return to milder conditions, however, is predicted to come at the expense of unsettled spells, bringing periods of heavy rain to many areas.
Bookmakers' Odds Plunge as Forecast Shifts
The Met Office's updated outlook has directly impacted the betting markets. Last week, during the height of the cold weather, bookmaker William Hill had significantly shortened the odds for a White Christmas. Aberdeen was given a 6/5 chance of seeing snow on December 25th, while Glasgow and Edinburgh both stood at 6/4. For Manchester, the odds were 4/1.
These optimistic bets have now been cast into doubt. The Met Office's published long-range forecast, which covers the period from Tuesday, December 9th to Tuesday, December 23rd, makes no mention of snow anywhere in the UK. This pattern is expected to persist through the Christmas week, including Christmas Day itself, though the agency will issue a more specific forecast for the holiday later this week.
What the Long-Range Forecast Says
The official Met Office forecast for mid-December points towards generally unsettled conditions. It states: "Probably rather unsettled through mid-December with spells of wet and windy weather, especially in the northwest. Some drier, more settled periods are possible, particularly in the southeast. Later in the month, details are uncertain but it may become wetter in the south and perhaps a little drier in the north."
Crucially for those dreaming of a white festive season, the forecast adds: "Temperatures will probably be above average overall." This reference to warmer-than-normal conditions starkly contrasts with the recent freeze, which saw temperatures plummet to a bitter -3.6°C in Aberdeenshire and below freezing in Northern Ireland and Oxfordshire.
In recent years, December temperatures in major UK cities like Birmingham, Sheffield, and Cardiff have typically hovered around 4°C or 5°C. The forecast suggests this milder trend is set to continue, dashing the hopes raised by last week's Arctic blast and the subsequent flurry of betting activity.
