White Christmases were much more common in the 18th and 19th centuries, which is likely where we get images of dreamy, snow-dusted Dickensian festivities from. This is largely attributed to climate change, which has increased average temperatures over land and sea.
So, with all this in mind, how likely are we to experience a white Christmas across the UK in 2026?
At the time of writing, you’d be forgiven for wondering where autumn has gone. Granted, storms gave some areas of the UK a considerable battering in recent weeks, but the leaves are still green (in the capital, at least) and things are looking relatively settled for the weeks ahead. The first two weeks of November are dominated by high pressure, bringing dry weather and sunny spells, while temperatures are expected to be a little above average for the remainder of the month.
While it’s impossible to predict where or when snow may fall this far in advance, and the Met Office daren’t make such a promise of a white Christmas until a few days before, there is one tool that could offer some hope.
White Christmas draws decades’ worth of snowy data to determine how likely snowfall is on Christmas Day across every part of the country.
It’s little surprise that all of the locations within the top ten snowiest places are in Scotland, where a white Christmas is much more likely. However, southerners aren’t set for much powder, it seems, with many postcodes in the capital only having a one to two per cent chance of snowfall.