ADVICEWEATHER
How likely is a White
Christmas?
We can accurately forecast if snow is
likely on any given Christmas Day up
to five days beforehand. In terms of the
statistical likelihood of snow based on
climatology, we know that a snowflake
has fallen somewhere in the UK
on Christmas Day 38 times in the last 54
years, so we can probably expect more
than half of all Christmas Days to be a
'White Christmas'.
However the more Dickensian scenes of
a widespread snow lying on the ground
on Christmas Day is much rarer. There
has only been a widespread covering of
snow on the ground (where more than
40% of stations in the UK reported snow
on the ground at 9am) four times in the
last 51 years.
When did we last have a
White Christmas?
Christmas 2010 was the last White
Christmas. 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.
We also had a White Christmas in 2009
when 13% of stations recorded snow or
sleet falling, and 57% reported snow
lying on the ground.
Supplied by the MetOffice. For an up-to-date
forecast this Christmas visit:
www.MetOffice.com
THEGAYUK | ISSUE 17 | DEC 2015 125