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National Meteorological Library and Archive
Fact sheet 5 White Christmas(version 01)
Christmas
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The National Meteorological Library and Archive
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Are you dreaming o a White Christmas?
Snow at Christmas is deep-seated in British culture. Many of us long for the likes of the scenes depicted ontraditional 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 15501850 whenBritain was in the grip of a Little Ice Age. Winters were particularly persistent and severe 1813/14 wasthe 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 whicheffectively 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 betweenmidnight and midday on 25 December.
However, the denition used most widely, notably by those placing and taking bets, is for a singlesnow ake (perhaps among a mixed shower of rain and snow) to be observed falling in the 24 hoursof 25 December.
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Christmas weather will it or wont it snow?
The likelihood of snow depends on many factors, mainly latitude and height above sea level. Not all ofus live in the Scottish Highlands and falls of sleet or snow over low-lying areas are usually conned tobetween 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 whensnow 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 reducesthe chances of a White Christmas. However, the natural variability of the weather will not stop cold, snowywinters happening in the future. In fact, in terms of widespread sleet/snow falling across the UK onChristmas Day, between 1971 and 1992 there was only one year (1980), whereas in the years 1993to 2004 there were six such occasions.
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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 reportedDay o sleet reportedDay o snow reported
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Before 2009, the last notable White Christmas across any area was 2004, which had widespread snow overnorthern and western areas. A map showing the distribution of climate stations which reportedeither sleet or snow falling is shown below.
Christmas day 2004
No sleet/snow reportedDay o sleet reportedDay o snow reported
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1995 saw a White Christmas being recorded widely across the UK. A map showing the distributionof climate stations which reported either sleet or snow falling is shown below.
Christmas day 1995
No sleet/snow reportedDay o sleet reportedDay o snow reported
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1993 also saw a White Christmas being recorded widely across the UK. A map showing the distribution ofclimate stations which reported either sleet or snow falling is shown below.
Christmas day 1993
No sleet/snow reportedDay o sleet reportedDay o snow reported
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White Christmas inormation across the UK since 1960
White Christmas information for areas of the UK since 1960 is shown in the following table. For thepurpose of this table, a White Christmas has been indicated when sleet or snow is reported to have fallenon 25December at multiple ofcial climate stations across the area (only stations with an altitude of lessthan 1,000 feet have been used).
A map showing the areas in the table is shown below.
N Scotland
E Scotland
W Scotland
NorthernIreland NW
EnglandNE England
WalesMidlands East
Anglia
SE England
SW England
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Year
SoutheastandCentral
Southern
England
Southwes
tEngland
Midlands
EastA
nglia
Northwes
tEngland
Northeast
andEast
England
Wa
les
NorthernIreland
Western
Scotland
EasternScotland
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
White Christmas inormation or areas o the UK since 1960
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Year
SoutheastandCentral
Southern
England
Southwes
tEngland
Midlands
EastA
nglia
Northwes
tEngland
Northeast
andEast
England
Wa
les
NorthernIreland
Western
Scotland
EasternScotland
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
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White Christmas inormation or 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 - - - -
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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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This fact sheet has been produced by the National Meteorological Library in conjunction with theMet Ofces National Climate Information Centre.
All of the images used in this fact sheet along with many others covering all aspects of meteorology can beobtained from the National Meteorological Library.
For more information about available images, please contact the Library Information Ofcer:
Tel: 01392 884845
Email: [email protected]
For more information about the Met Ofce, please contact the Customer Centre on:
Tel: 0870 900 0100Fax: 0870 900 5050Email: [email protected]
If you are outside the UK:Tel: +44 (0)1392 885680Fax: +44 (0)1392 885681
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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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