White Christmas Betting Odds 2024: Will It Snow At Xmas This Year?
Betting sites believe the chances of a White Christmas are receding despite some parts of the country experiencing snow at the weekend.
Wintry, blustery showers affected Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England on Sunday morning, although conditions are expected to become milder as Christmas Day approaches.
Strong winds which caused flight cancellations and rail disruption have died down and almost all weather warnings have been lifted.
Temperatures are expected to be in double figures across the country on Wednesday, even in Aberdeen which has the best chance of seeing the white stuff.
Sunny intervals and a moderate breeze will greet Granite City residents on Christmas morning and the chances of snow landing at Aberdeen airport have dropped from 47.6% to 16.7%.
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle follow swiftly behind, while there is seemingly almost a one-in-nine chance that Belfast enjoys a flurry of the white stuff.
White Christmas Odds 2024
City | Odds | Bookmaker |
Aberdeen | 5/1 | |
Glasgow | 6/1 | |
Edinburgh | 6/1 | |
Newcastle | 8/1 | |
Belfast | 10/1 | |
Leeds | 10/1 | |
Liverpool | 12/1 | |
Manchester | 12/1 | |
Birmingham | 14/1 | |
Cardiff | 20/1 | |
London (City Airport) | 20/1 |
Although a White Christmas appears unlikely, a cold winter front on New Year's Day should see several centimetres of snow falling across much of northern Scotland, Cumbria, parts of Northern Ireland and Wales.
Last year was officially a White Christmas as snow fell at Tulloch Bridge and Aviemore in Scotland, yet other parts of the country witnessed temperatures as high as 13.6C.
With a White Christmas starting to diminish, we look at the latest odds on snow falling on Christmas Day.
UK bookmakers reckon Scotland has the best chance of witnessing snow at Christmas.
That’s not a surprise given Scotland’s northerly position and mountainous altitude.
Yet the betting focus isn’t on whether it snows at all but whether it snows at a city’s airport.
Aberdeen remains the most likely contender to experience snow, but a mild forecast means there is only a 5/1 chance of just one snowflake falling at the airport.
Glasgow and Edinburgh follow closely behind at 6/1. It’s usually less likely to snow around Clydeside and the Forth Estuary due to low altitude.
How Christmas Day Snow Betting Works
Officially, the Met Office declares a White Christmas if a single snowflake is detected to have fallen anywhere in the country. That means we could have an official snowy 25th if there’s a brief flurry in Orkney, despite it being 12°C in Cornwall.
Bookmakers have a different way of doing things. They offer White Christmas odds on individual UK airports, where weather forecasts and reports are continually updated.
That’s why punters can bet on Glasgow seeing snow on Christmas Day, rather than the UK as a whole.
Bookies pay out for that bet if Glasgow airport confirms the presence of snow.
What Are The Odds Of It Snowing On Christmas Day?
The latest Christmas Day snow odds suggest Aberdeen has a one in six chance of witnessing the white stuff with William Hill.
Glasgow and Edinburgh could also enjoy a flurry, although it’s unlikely to be at the same level that ground the country to a halt in 2010.
In England, Newcastle is 8/1 to witness snow, and Leeds-Bradford airport has doubled in price from 5/1 to 10/1 despite sleet showers at the airport on Sunday morning.
Liverpool and Manchester are 12/1, while Cardiff’s odds have taken a significant change. The Welsh capital was 9/1 to witness snow in 2023 but is now 20/1 with betting apps.
That shift is also seen in Belfast, which was 4/1 last year but now sits at 10/1 for 2024.
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
White Xmas Every Six Years
Britain’s average December temperatures vary greatly. In the north of Scotland and in Aberdeenshire, average highs float around 6°C and as low as 1°C.
It is in the Deeside towns of Balmoral and Braemar where the mercury often plunges way below zero. Armagh in Northern Ireland has similarly cold conditions, as does Aberystwyth in Wales and Penrith in Cumbria.
Further south, though, the weather can sometimes remain mild throughout winter.
Highs of 9°C and 10°C can be enjoyed in Newquay and Exeter, while London’s relative microclimate means snow is rarely enjoyed for more than a day or two in the capital.
The UK experiences a White Christmas on average once every six years, and enjoys snowfall once every 3.9 days in December.
That’s effectively a flurry every week, which theoretically means there is a one-in-seven chance that snow falls on Christmas Day itself.
Will It Snow In London This Christmas?
London gets a lot of the attention when it snows, as the media paint a picture of a Dickensian capital covered in fluffy white stuff.
Well, it might snow in London this winter but it probably won’t on Christmas Day.
The capital has been pushed out from 6/1 a year ago to 20/1 now. In fact, London had highs of 13C on December 25, 2023. No wonder the bookies reckon there’s a 4.8% chance of snow this time.
London endured a cold snap in mid-November this year as snow fell and the mercury dropped to -8C. In December 2022 some schools were closed for the day when snow blanketed the capital.
Yet we haven’t seen fat snowflakes fall on Buckingham Palace, Wembley or the Thames on Christmas Day since 1999. Not since the Old Wembley was knocking about has there been white stuff on the big day.
