White Christmas 2016 – what are the odds on snow falling in the UK this Christmas Day?
FROM the festive films, traditional advent calendars, greeting cards and THAT Bing Crosby song, Christmas has long been associated with idyllic snow-covered scenes.
Just like the chestnuts roasting on an open fire, kisses under the mistletoe and rows with your aunt, snow brings that extra magic to December 25th.
So will we open the curtains on Christmas morning and be greeted with tumbling snowflakes?
We've asked experts to give us the lowdown.
What are the odds on snow falling on Christmas Day this year?
Odds are currently highest for the Scottish city of Glasgow and lowest for London.
But what are our chances of a white Christmas across the nation?
(on 22/12/2016):
Leeds: 2/1
Edinburgh: 2/1
Newcastle: 11/4
Belfast: 3/1
Liverpool: 7/2
Manchester: 7/2
Bristol: 5/1
Birmingham: 5/1
Nottingham: 6/1
Cardiff: 7/1
London: 8/1
What do forecasters predict?
Records state that a snowflake has fallen somewhere in the UK on Christmas Day 38 times in the last 54 years. But the Met Office says climate change has brought higher average temperatures for the yuletide season.
Previous figures have suggested the most likely place to see snow while unwrapping gifts is the Cairngorms in Scotland, while Cornwall in the south of England is the least likely.
In November the Met Office issued a 'Yellow' alert for snow, wind and rain ahead of the arrival of Storm Angus.
Now, with Storm Barbara set to strike the UK bringing 70mph gales and unsettled conditions, Christmas weekend could see travel chaos across Britain.
When was the last time snow fell on Christmas Day?
The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was in 2010 when there was snow on the ground at 83% of the met office’s observation stations - the highest amount ever recorded.
The deepest lying snow on Christmas day was in 1981 when Kindrogan, Perthshire recorded 47 cm of snowfall.
How is it measured?
A white Christmas is declared if just one snowflake falls over the 24 hours of December 25th. The Met Office hold observation stations at specific locations across the UK such as Buckingham Palace, Edinburgh Castle, Coronation Street in Manchester, Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and Aldergrove airport in Belfast.
Other odds are available at and .
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How many days until Christmas 2016? Your countdown is here