Christmas National Meteorological Library and Archive Fact sheet 5 White Christmas (version 01)
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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 Wales Midlands East Anglia SW England SE England
White Christmas information for areas of the UK since 1960 Year Southeast and Central Southern England Southwest England Midlands East Anglia Northwest England Northeast and East England Wales Northern Ireland Western Scotland Eastern Scotland Northern Scotland 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
Year Southeast and Central Southern England Southwest England Midlands East Anglia Northwest England Northeast and East England Wales Northern Ireland Western Scotland Eastern Scotland Northern Scotland 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 - - - -
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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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