met office - white christmas fact sheet

8/8/2019 Met Office - White Christmas Fact Sheet

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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

Many people have an interest in the weather and the processes that cause it, which is why theNational Meteorological Library and Archive are open to everyone.

Holding one of the most comprehensive collections on meteorology anywhere in the world, the Libraryand Archive are vital for the maintenance of the public memory of the weather, the storageof meteorological records and as an aid to learning.

The Library and Archive collections include:

around 300,000 books, charts, atlases, journals, articles, microche and scientic papers onmeteorology and climatology, for a variety of knowledge levels

audio-visual material including digitised images, slides, photographs, videos and DVDs

daily weather reports for the United Kingdom from 1861 to the present, and from around the world

marine weather log books

a number of the earliest weather diaries dating back to the late 18th century

artefacts, records and charts of historical interest; for example, a chart detailing the weather conditionsfor the D-Day Landings, the weather records of Scotts Antarctic expedition from 1911

rare books, including a 16th century edition of Aristotles Meteorologica, held on behalf of theRoyal Meteorological Society

a display of meteorological equipment and artefacts

For more information about the Library and Archive please see our website at:

www.metofce.gov.uk/corporate/library
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/library/index.htmlhttp://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/library/index.html


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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



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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



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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



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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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The collection illustrates all aspects of meteorology, from clouds and weather phenomena,to instruments and the work of the Met Ofce. Our online catalogue can be found at:

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All of the fact sheets in this series are available to download from our website

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met office - white christmas fact sheet

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