The Met Office forecasts snow and sleet for the UK this festive season, raising hopes for a white Christmas, especially in northern regions.
London: It looks like we might actually get a white Christmas this year! The Met Office has predicted some snow and sleet from Christmas Eve through January 7. How cool is that?
According to their long-range forecast, we can expect sleet and snow, especially in the northern parts of the UK. But don’t get too excited if you’re in London; it seems like the south might miss out on the snow this time around.
They mentioned that most areas will likely see some wind and rain, with showers hitting especially in the northwest. But hey, there’s still a chance for some settled weather in the south as we get closer to the end of December.
Temperatures are expected to be around average, but with those settled spells, we might have to watch out for frost and fog. The forecast is a bit uncertain, so we won’t know for sure about a white Christmas until just a few days before December 25.
By the way, the Met Office considers it a ‘White Christmas’ if even one snowflake falls somewhere in the UK on Christmas Day. Interestingly, more than half of Christmas Days have been recorded as white since 1960.
But don’t expect a winter wonderland every year. There have only been four times since 1960 when the ground was completely covered in snow on Christmas Day. Those years were 1981, 1995, 2009, and 2010.
Climate change plays a role in this, too. The UK tends to get heavier snowfall in January and February rather than December. Last year, 2023, was the last time we had a white Christmas, with 11% of the Met Office’s stations reporting snow, but no snow on the ground.
This forecast comes as the UK deals with the aftermath of Storm Darragh, which left around 24,000 homes without power. Thankfully, they’re expected to be back online soon.