Odds on a White Christmas slashed - Edinburgh the most likely to see the white stuff

After snow flurries and freezing conditions across the country over the past few days, weather experts have indicated a white Christmas is looking increasingly likely.

The latest odds, from Ladbrokes.com, suggest Aberdeen is the city most likely to experience snowfall over Christmas, with other cities in Scotland and Northern England featuring high on the list. Cities in the south, including London, have much lower odds.

The requirements for a white Christmas are actually very modest. Just a single snowflake has to fall. Most cities use airports as a measure of whether snow has fallen, because they have extensive weather recording equipment.

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During the week, this week, thermometers have dropped as low as -6°C with severe weather warnings issued for snow and icy conditions. Wales and Aberdeenshire, in particular, experienced harsh weather conditions – schools were closed following snowfall in the South of the country. Weather experts have stated that temperatures will get a little warmer over the weekend, but have also cautioned that the mercury is set to slide again next week.

With temperatures having dropped considerably in the past few days, bookmakers have slashed the odds that people will experience a white Christmas. 

According to Ladbrokes, Edinburgh is the location most likely to see snowfall on December 25, with odds of just 5/4. Newcastle has been priced at 2/1 with Belfast at 3/1. Other significant cities that have a chance of snow include Liverpool (5/1), Dublin (6/1), Manchester (6/1), Birmingham (7/1), Cardiff (7/1), and London (10/1).

While many people dream of a white Christmas, the likelihood of one occurring in the UK is actually quite slim. Statistically, in fact, we’re more likely to see a white Easter than a white Christmas. Typically, February is the month with the most snow, with January and March also having higher average snowfall than December. 

A single snowflake must fall at the designated location at any time during the 24 hours of December 25. Snow still on the ground from earlier snowfall does not count. 

According to official figures, the UK experienced a white Christmas two years ago, in 2023, but the snowfall was light and restricted to just a few parts of the country. 

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While that might have been enough for some lucky punters to win their white Christmas bets, most people did not consider the snowfall substantial enough to be a real white Christmas. 

We have to go back to 2010 for the last bout of heavy snowfall on Christmas Day. More than three-quarters of weather stations across the country reported snow on the ground, and some areas reported record low temperatures on the day. 

Odds of a white Christmas, from Ladbrokes, correct at the time of writing: