Why the UK never seems to get a white Christmas

If you live in the UK then you’ll know that in the weeks leading up to Christmas one of the major topics of conversation is whether or not the country will have a white Christmas. Although realistically snowfall leads to traffic problems and slippery pavements there is something magical about the thought of waking up on the big day to a country that is blanketed in white, fluffy snow.

A White Christmas in the UK

For a white Christmas to be declared in the UK, London needs to have snow on the 25th of December – which actually hasn’t happened since 2009. It might be something that Londoners and Devonians dream about whist sorting out our Christmas recycling, but in reality, it isn’t something that has happened very often at all.

What are the Chances of a White Christmas?

Depending on where in the world you live, there are different odds of you having a white Christmas. Of course, if you live somewhere that is often cold and experiences snow at this time of year anyway then your chances are much higher. The truth is that in the UK we tend to experience our colder weather in January and February and as such are much more likely to have snow during these months than any other time of year – Christmas included.

Betway Casino looked at which countries are most likely to have a white Christmas and perhaps unsurprisingly Russia is up there. Moscow has had 9 Christmas days covered in snow since 2009; the most of any city. Other cities that have seen plenty of snowfall on Christmas day include Nur-Sultan (8), Tallinn (8) and Reykjavik 7). Going by their track record, if you were to bet on where in the world would be lucky enough to have a white Christmas this year; those are where you should be putting your money.

Will We See a White Christmas this Year?

We might have songs dedicated to a white Christmas, it might be depicted on every Christmas card scene, and it might well be a major part of the storyline for plenty of Christmas films, but the truth is that snow on Christmas is much more of a romanticised idea than it is a reality. Although odds of a white Christmas in the northern hemisphere often change, the is a hint towards the fact that snowfall this Christmas is somewhat unexpected.

That being said, that doesn’t mean that Christmas day is likely to be warmer – so if you are heading out to see friends or family, make sure you wrap up warm. A white Christmas might be something that is more likely to happen in Russia but that doesn’t mean that we won’t experience bitterly cold temperatures and ice. And who knows, maybe the odds of a white Christmas next year will be much better and 2022 will be there year we all wake up to a country covered in a stunning snow blanket.