WILL IT BE A WHITE CHRISTMAS?

A single snowfall can make all the difference

- SCOTT DUTFIELD

Will treetops glisten with snow this year, or will we be left dreaming of a white Christmas? Despite Bing Crosby's hope for a snowy start to yuletide, the chances of seeing snowfall on Christmas morning have been a bit hit and miss, depending on where you are in the world. In the UK, the last 'white Christmas' occurred in 2023, when 11 per cent of weather stations recorded snowfall, despite none of it sticking to the ground. However, the country hasn't experienced widespread snowfall since 2010. Meanwhile, 53 per cent of the US was covered in snow in 2022.

The definition of what counts as a white Christmas differs from country to country. In the UK, the Met Office will declare a white Christmas when a single snowflake is “observed falling on the 24 hours of 25 December by either an official Met Office observer or by the Met Office automated weather station”. However, the US National Weather Service defines a white Christmas as “one inch [2.54 centimetres] or more on the ground on Christmas morning”.