We all dream of a white Christmas that we rarely see but it might actually happen this year as the Met Office issues a warning that snow could fall on the big day.
The latest long-range forecasts from the Met Office suggest that the weather during the run-up to Christmas is likely to be unsettled, with further rain or showers.
However, there is still room for some festive cheer as the forecaster suggests there will be a shift towards calmer and more settled weather conditions.
Significant cold weather looks less probable, the Met Office said.
High pressure is expected to build, reducing the widespread rain just in time for Santa Claus to travel on Christmas Eve.
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The Met Office has said the increased pressure could cause an increase of overnight frost and fog.
How likely is a white Christmas in the UK?
For many of us, snow is a symbol of Christmas, but in the UK, it very rarely falls during the festive period.
We are more likely to see snow in January and February, rather than in December, according to the Met Office.
On average, snow actually settles on the ground for three days in December, compared to 3.3 days in January and 3.4 days in February.
For the Met Office to declare a white Christmas, a single snowflake has to be seen falling by an official observer or an automated weather station during the 24 hours of December 25.
The Met Office says that white Christmases were more common in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Since 1960, around half of the years have at least 5% of recorded snow fall on Christmas Day.
There has only been a widespread covering of snow on the ground four times since 1960 – in 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010.
UK's last white Christmas in 2010
The last white Christmas was in 2010 with the highest amount of snow on the ground recorded at 83% of stations.
Snow and sleet also fell at 19% of the stations.
While classic festive scenes with blankets of snow took over the UK, severe travel disruption was also caused due to frozen canals, icy roads and stuck trains during the white Christmas.
Flights and trains were cancelled as the UK’s transport network was threatened to buckle because of the snow and ice.
Schools were also affected badly, with at least 800 closed in Wales, 600 in Northern Ireland and more than 500 in Scotland.
Some areas saw substantial deep snow, with over two feet reported in South Downs and drifts over 20 feet in Yorkshire.
Technically, 2023 was the last white Christmas in the UK with 11% of weather stations recording snow falling, although none reported it settling on the ground.
Climate change has brought higher average temperatures which has reduced the chances of a snowy Christmas, the forecaster says.
UK regions with the best chances of a white Christmas
The Met Office has said that any snow will probably be confined to high grounds in the north.
This means that you might be in with a chance for a white Christmas if you live in the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, Perth and Kinross.
However, the Met Office has said it is too early confirm whether there will be snow on Christmas Day and have advised to keep an eye on their forecast.
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