For many of us, snow is synonymous with Christmas. Christmas cards, songs and films all portray a 'white Christmas'.
However, unfortunately for most parts of the United Kingdom, Christmas is right at the beginning of the period when it's likely to snow. Wintry weather is more likely between January and March than December. Snow or sleet falls on average five days in December, compared to 7.6 days in January, 6.8 days in February and six days in March.
White Christmases were more frequent in the 18th and 19th centuries. Climate change has also brought higher average temperatures over land and sea and this generally reduces the chances of a white Christmas. However, the natural variability of the weather will not stop cold, snowy winters happening in the future.
We can accurately forecast if snow is likely on any given Christmas Day up to five days beforehand. So next Thursday we will start to have a more accurate idea. In terms of the statistical likelihood of snow based on climatology, we know that a snowflake has fallen on Christmas day 38 times in the last 52 years, therefore we can probably expect more than half of all Christmases to be a 'white Christmas' in this sense.
Snow lying on the ground on Christmas Day - as we would expect from typical Christmas scene - is much rarer. There has only been a widespread covering of snow on the ground four times in the last 51 years.
Do you want a white Christmas? Do you have any particularly memorable white Christmases?
However, unfortunately for most parts of the United Kingdom, Christmas is right at the beginning of the period when it's likely to snow. Wintry weather is more likely between January and March than December. Snow or sleet falls on average five days in December, compared to 7.6 days in January, 6.8 days in February and six days in March.
White Christmases were more frequent in the 18th and 19th centuries. Climate change has also brought higher average temperatures over land and sea and this generally reduces the chances of a white Christmas. However, the natural variability of the weather will not stop cold, snowy winters happening in the future.
We can accurately forecast if snow is likely on any given Christmas Day up to five days beforehand. So next Thursday we will start to have a more accurate idea. In terms of the statistical likelihood of snow based on climatology, we know that a snowflake has fallen on Christmas day 38 times in the last 52 years, therefore we can probably expect more than half of all Christmases to be a 'white Christmas' in this sense.
Snow lying on the ground on Christmas Day - as we would expect from typical Christmas scene - is much rarer. There has only been a widespread covering of snow on the ground four times in the last 51 years.
Do you want a white Christmas? Do you have any particularly memorable white Christmases?
Source: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/snow/white-christmas
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