White Christmas Scotland 2022 latest: Bookies slash odds for snow on Christmas Day in Edinburgh and Glasgow again

Waking up on Christmas morning to a covering of snow is a magical experience that’s a unusual in most parts of Scotland.

The chances of Scotland experiencing a rare white Christmas are increasing – according to bookmakers who have slashed the odds of snowfall on December 25.

The news comes after snow caused problems on Scotland’s roads, during the first cold snap of winter.

Glasgow and Edinburgh stand the best chance of a covering of snow of Christmas Day, with William Hill’s odds nearly halving from 4/1 to 11/4 in just 48 hours last week – suggesting a flurry of bets had been placed.

William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps, explained: “With temperatures as low as -6 degrees Celsius recorded in some parts of the country on Thursday morning, the odds of snowfall in either Edinburgh or Glasgow on Christmas Day have dropped to 11/4, a noticeable contraction from their price of 4/1 earlier this week. While the forecast isn’t yet pointing obviously towards snow falling on the 25th of December across the UK, odds of 4/1 for London and 7/2 for Leeds and Belfast suggest a first countrywide White Christmas since 2010 is by no means a longshot.”

And now the odds have narrowed further, to just 2/1 for both Edinburgh and Glasgow to see Christmas snow.

Here’s everything you need to know.

What is a white Christmas?

A covering of snow turns Edinburgh into a winter wonderland.

When it comes to what constitutes a white Christmas, it very much depends who you ask. The Met Office declares a white Christmas if a single snowflake falls at one of their 270 observation stations. The bookies have a different measure – they pay out on a white Christmas if a single snowflake falls within 24 hours of December 25 at one of the 13 major airports in the UK. For the rest of us, opening the curtains to a covering of pristine snow would seem to be a more accurate measure.

What are the odds for a white Christmas around the UK?

William Hill’s odds for Christmas snow are as follows:

Glasgow: 2/1

Edinburgh: 2/1

Leeds: 7/2

Belfast: 7/2

Manchester: 7/2

London: 9/2

Birmingham: 9/2

Cardiff: 7/1

When has Scotland previously had a white Christmas?

Parts of Scotland reported a white Christmas last year (2021), with snow falling across Aberdeenshire, Perthshire and Shetland on December 25.

Prior to that, other than a few snowflakes, Scotland has only had a widespread covering of snow four times since 1960 – in 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010.

Conversely, the warmest Christmas day in Scotland is a record held jointly by 2011 and 2016 – where temperatures reached 15.1°C at Dyce in Aberdeenshire and Urquhart in Ross and Cromarty.

And the windiest Christmas day recorded was at Sella Ness, in Shetland, in 2011, when gusts up to 101 mph were recorded.

What has the Met Office said?

Professor Paul Davies, Met Office Chief Meteorologist, spoke about the likelihood of a white Christmas earlier this year, explaining: “November and December look more settled with high pressure likely to dominate our weather. Exact weather conditions will be dictated by where the high pressure settles over the Atlantic and the UK, but we are likely to see a higher incidence of northerly airflows, preventing mild, moist air flowing to the UK from the Atlantic Ocean and increasing the potential for cold snaps with some threat of snow and ice, mainly in northern areas. The most likely scenario as we head into 2023 is for the risk of high-pressure to decrease, and a return to more unsettled conditions with wet, windy, and mild spells possible. However, there is still a risk we could see a Sudden Stratospheric Warming. If this happens it could potentially lead to a cold spell for the UK and northern Europe, although the chances of a very cold winter, comparable to 2009/10, are still low this winter.”