Christmas

National Meteorological Library and Archive

Fact sheet 5 — White Christmas
(version 01)
The National Meteorological Library and Archive
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Are you dreaming of a White Christmas?
Snow at Christmas is deep-seated in British culture. Many of us long for the likes of the scenes depicted on
traditional Christmas cards and in works like Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ or ‘Pickwick Papers’.
The interest in snowy Christmases has its origins in the colder climate of the period 1550—1850 when
Britain was in the grip of a ‘Little Ice Age’. Winters were particularly persistent and severe – 1813/14 was
the last winter that a ‘frost fair’ was held on the River Thames in London.

For most parts of the United Kingdom, Christmas comes at the beginning of the season for snow.
Wintry weather is more likely in the deepening cold of early January. White Christmases were more
frequent in the 18th and 19th centuries, even more so before the change of calendar in 1752 which
effectively brought Christmas day back by 12 days.
What is a White Christmas?
For many people, a White Christmas means a complete covering of snow, ideally falling between
midnight and midday on 25 December.
However, the definition used most widely, notably by those placing and taking bets, is for a single
snow flake (perhaps among a mixed shower of rain and snow) to be observed falling in the 24 hours
of 25 December.
Christmas weather – will it or won’t it snow?
The likelihood of snow depends on many factors, mainly latitude and height above sea level. Not all of
us live in the Scottish Highlands and falls of sleet or snow over low-lying areas are usually confined to
between November and April. However, there have been isolated falls as late as June.
Even if snowfalls in December are possible, there is no guarantee that snow will ‘stick’. On days when
snow is falling, the temperature of the air above the ground sometimes remains above freezing — so
the snow does not settle for long.
Climate change has 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. In fact, in terms of widespread sleet/snow falling across the UK on
Christmas Day, between 1971 and 1992 there was only one year (1980), whereas in the years 1993
to 2004 there were six such occasions.
Recent White Christmases across the UK
The last time a White Christmas was recorded across the UK was 2009 (last updated November 2010).
A map showing the distribution of climate stations which reported either sleet or snow falling is shown below.

Christmas day 2009

No sleet/snow reported
Day of sleet reported
Day of snow reported
Before 2009, the last notable White Christmas across any area was 2004, which had widespread snow over
northern and western areas. A map showing the distribution of climate stations which reported
either sleet or snow falling is shown below.

Christmas day 2004

No sleet/snow reported
Day of sleet reported
Day of snow reported
1995 saw a White Christmas being recorded widely across the UK. A map showing the distribution
of climate stations which reported either sleet or snow falling is shown below.

Christmas day 1995

No sleet/snow reported
Day of sleet reported
Day of snow reported
1993 also saw a White Christmas being recorded widely across the UK. A map showing the distribution of
climate stations which reported either sleet or snow falling is shown below.

Christmas day 1993

No sleet/snow reported
Day of sleet reported
Day of snow reported
White Christmas information across the UK since 1960
White Christmas information for areas of the UK since 1960 is shown in the following table. For the
purpose of this table, a White Christmas has been indicated when sleet or snow is reported to have fallen
on 25 December at multiple official climate stations across the area (only stations with an altitude of less
than 1,000 feet have been used).
A map showing the areas in the table is shown below.

N Scotland

E Scotland

W Scotland

Northern
Ireland NW
England
NE England

Midlands East
Wales Anglia

SE England
SW England
White Christmas information for areas of the UK since 1960

Southeast and Central

Southwest England

Northwest England

Northern Scotland
Southern England

Western Scotland
and East England

Northern Ireland

Eastern Scotland
East Anglia

Northeast
Midlands

Wales
Year

1960 - - - - - - - - - - Yes

1961 - Yes - - - - - - Yes Yes Yes

1962 - - - Yes Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes -

1963 - - Yes - Yes - - - Yes Yes Yes

1964 Yes Yes Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

1965 - - - - - Yes - - - Yes Yes

1966 - - Yes Yes - Yes - - Yes Yes Yes

1967 - - - - - - - - - - -

1968 Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes - - Yes Yes Yes

1969 - - - - - - - - - - -

1970 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - Yes - -

1971 - - - - - - - - - - -

1972 - - - - - - - - Yes - -

1973 - - - - - - - - - - -

1974 - - - - - - - - - Yes Yes

1975 - - - - - - - - - - -

1976 Yes - Yes Yes - Yes - - Yes Yes Yes

1977 - - - - - - - - - - -

1978 - - Yes - - Yes - - - Yes Yes

1979 - - - - - Yes - - - Yes Yes

1980 - Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

1981 Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes

1982 - - - - - - - - - - -

1983 - - - - - - - - - - Yes

1984 - Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - Yes

1985 - - - - - - - - Yes Yes Yes

 Southeast and Central

Southwest England

Northwest England

Northern Scotland
Southern England

Western Scotland
and East England

Northern Ireland

Eastern Scotland
East Anglia

Northeast
Midlands

Wales
Year

1986 - - - - - - - - - Yes Yes

1987 - - - - - - - - - - -

1988 - - - - - - - - - - -

1989 - - - - - - - - - - Yes

1990 - Yes Yes - - - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

1991 - - - - - - - - - - Yes

1992 - - - - - - - - - - -

1993 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

1994 - - - - - - - Yes Yes Yes Yes

1995 - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

1996 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes

1997 - - - - - - - - - - -

1998 - - Yes - - - - Yes Yes Yes Yes

1999 Yes Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

2000 - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

2001 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

2002 - - - - - - - - - - -

2003 - - - - - - - - - - -

2004 Yes Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

2005 - - - - - - - - - - -

2006 - - - - - - - - - - -

2007 - - - - - - - - - - -

2008 - - - - - - - - - - -

2009 - - Yes - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

White Christmas information for capital cities across the UK since 1960
White Christmas information for capital cities of the UK since 1960 is shown in the following table.
A White Christmas has been indicated when sleet or snow is reported to have fallen on 25 December.

Year London Cardiff Belfast Edinburgh

1960 - - - -

1961 - - - -

1962 - - Yes Yes

1963 - - - Yes

1964 Yes - Yes -

1965 - - - -

1966 - - Yes -

1967 - - - -

1968 Yes - - Yes

1969 - - - -

1970 Yes - - -

1971 - - - -

1972 - - - -

1973 - - - -

1974 - - - -

1975 - - - -

1976 Yes - - -

1977 - - - -

1978 - - - -

1979 - - - -

1980 - - Yes Yes

1981 - - - -

1982 - - - -

1983 - - - -

1984 - - - -

1985 - - - -

1986 - - - Yes

1987 - - - -

1988 - - - -
Year London Cardiff Belfast Edinburgh

1989 - - - -

1990 - Yes - -

1991 - - - -

1992 - - - -

1993 - Yes Yes Yes

1994 - - - -

1995 - - Yes Yes

1996 Yes - Yes -

1997 - - - -

1998 - - Yes Yes

1999 Yes - Yes Yes

2000 - - - Yes

2001 - Yes Yes -

2002 - - - -

2003 - - - -

2004 - Yes Yes -

2005 - - - -

2006 - - - -

2007 - - - -

2008 - - - -

2009 - - - -
This fact sheet has been produced by the National Meteorological Library in conjunction with the
Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre.
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Other titles in this series still available are:
• Number 1 Clouds
• Number 2 Thunderstorms
• Number 3 Water in the atmosphere
• Number 4 Climate of the British Isles
• Number 6 The Beaufort Scale
• Number 7 Climate of South West England
• Number 8 The Shipping Forecast
• Number 9 Weather extremes
• Number 10 Air masses and weather fronts
• Number 11 Interpreting weather charts
• Number 12 National Meteorological Archive
• Number 13 Upper air observation and the tephigram
• Number 14 Microclimates
• Number 15 Weather radar
• Number 16 World climates
• Number 17 Weather observations
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