Snow climate maps present Christmas interval whiteout with -12C Arctic freeze on approach
Snowfall is expected in Scotland, the North of England and parts of Wales on December 25, with the snowy conditions expected to last for at least two days after Christmas, and possibly into the weekend
A new map hints at a white Christmas for Brits this year with an Arctic freeze on the way. The 48-hour cold snap could see temperatures plunge to as low as -12C.
According to the latest weather maps, hopes for a white Christmas could very well be met this year, with WXCharts maps forecasting snow across Scotland, the North of England, and parts of Wales on December 25.
The wintry weather is set to persist two days beyond Christmas and may even stretch into the weekend. The forecast could bring snow as deep as 12cm on higher parts of the country including central Scotland with 14cm in the Pennines.
A fresh prediction issued by Netweather today suggests a significant likelihood of snowfall at 6am on Christmas Day for southern parts of Wales and Scotland, and there’s a 50% chance that the home counties could join them, reports the Express.
Another map hints minimum temperatures could dive to -12C around Fort William by midday on December 27, while places such as Dundee, Newcastle, and Carlisle might experience mercury levels hovering between -1C and 0C.
But it’s largely still too early to tell as the Met Office has warned not to lock in predictions for a white Christmas. They caution that individual models don’t offer enough precision for detailed forecasts and should be considered amongst an array of data for the complete outlook.
The Met Office affirms that accurately predicting “impactful snow” is highly challenging in the UK. Forecasts are finely tuned exercises requiring experts to weigh a variety of elements, as conditions must be just right for snow to materialise.
In fact 2023 was ‘technically’ the last white Christmas in the UK with 11% of stations recording snow falling. But none reported any settling on the ground.
The last proper white Christmas in the UK was in 2010. It was extremely unusual, as not only was there snow on the ground at 83% of stations – the highest amount ever recorded – but snow or sleet also fell at 19% of stations.
The Met Office defines a white Christmas as when at least one snowflake falls in the UK on Christmas Day. This happens more than half of the time, so it’s likely that there will be a white Christmas somewhere in the UK. However, snow rarely settles across the country.
The chances of a white Christmas have decreased as the climate has warmed. In the 2010s, snow was less likely to fall on Christmas Day than it was in the 1960s – but we’ll have to wait to see what 2024’s Christmas holds.
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