As the festive season reaches its peak, the annual question of whether Britain will enjoy a white Christmas has been answered by the bookmakers, with odds revealing a rapidly diminishing chance of snowfall on December 25th.
Edinburgh Leads the Festive Betting
According to the latest figures from William Hill, Edinburgh Airport is now the most likely location in the UK and Ireland to see a white Christmas, priced at 5/1. The Scottish capital has moved to the head of the market as unseasonably warm temperatures push the odds out for most other cities.
A spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, commented on the shift, stating: "With the unseasonably mild weather the chances of a White Christmas look to be slipping away, and Edinburgh is now the most likely UK capital to see snowfall on December 25th at 5/1." He noted this was a significant drift from odds of 5/4 quoted for the city earlier in December.
The Official Definition and Historical Context
For an official 'white Christmas' to be recorded, the Met Office requires that a single snowflake is observed falling within the 24 hours of December 25, either by an official observer or an automated weather station. It does not need to settle.
The last nationwide white Christmas occurred in 2023, when 11% of weather stations reported falling snow. Historically, a thick blanket of snow covering the ground on Christmas Day is exceptionally rare. The Royal Meteorological Society reports only four such instances since 1960: in 1981, 1995, 2009, and 2010. The year 2010 holds the record, with snow on the ground at 83% of UK weather stations.
Full List of City Odds for Christmas Day 2025
The odds, which were accurate as of the afternoon of Monday, December 22nd, rank the likelihood of snow at key UK and Irish airports. Several major cities are clustered closely behind Edinburgh in the betting.
The complete William Hill odds are as follows:
- Aberdeen Airport – EVS
- Edinburgh Airport – 6/4
- Newcastle Airport – 7/4
- Leeds Airport – 2/1
- Liverpool Airport – 2/1
- Manchester Airport – 2/1
- Belfast Airport – 3/1
- Dublin Airport – 4/1
- Birmingham Airport – 5/1
- Bristol Airport – 5/1
- Cardiff Airport – 5/1
- London City Airport – 6/1
London, Dublin, Cardiff, and Belfast are all priced at 6/1, indicating a very slim possibility. William Hill's Lee Phelps added, "it looks as though their residents could be waiting another 12 months at least for snow to fall on Christmas Day."
While the dream of a picturesque snowy Christmas remains alive in the national imagination, the bookmakers' latest assessment suggests most of the UK will be waking up to a milder, and likely greener, festive morning this year.
