Will It Snow at Christmas? Here's The Latest White Christmas Betting Odds
Betting sites believe the odds of a white Christmas in 2022 are less likely than they were last year as forecasters predict wet and windy weather ahead for the United Kingdom.
There’s nothing more magical than waking up on Christmas day to see a smattering of snow falling outside your window. But Gambling.com can reveal that the UK could miss out on snowfall this year, after parts of Scotland were treated to the white stuff in 2021.
According to Hills, one of the best specials betting sites, the Scottish cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow is joint-favourite as each have a 25% chance of snowfall on December 25, at odds of 3/1.
The slight reduction in the chances of a white Christmas this year is perhaps understandable.
The UK endured an uncharacteristically hot summer and has been treated to a deluge of rain in October, which has caused flash floods in the south east.
High pressure is expected to eventually envelop the country this winter, but the Met Office has warned that might not last long, with a return to wet and windy conditions in January.
The Met Office rule for an official white Christmas is that “one snowflake (must) be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK”.
UK bookmakers generally stick to airport locations as these provide official confirmation of snowfall.
But will it snow at Christmas? It's hard to say with any degree of certainty. One thing is for sure, we're unlikely to experience a warm day like we did in 2016, when temperatures in Britain rose as high as 14°C.
What Are The Odds on it Snowing on Christmas Day?
The UK weather odds on betting apps suggest we could see snow on Christmas Day somewhere across the country, but the most likely place will be central Scotland or the north of England.
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 before zero.
Armagh in Northern Ireland has similarly cold conditions, as does Aberystwyth in Wales and Penrith in Cumbria.
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
Further south, though, and 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.
However, the bookies have seen a huge swing in the odds in the last few days and William Hill reckon Edinburgh and Glasgow now each have 25% chance of witnessing snowfall at their airports on Christmas day - having been out at 63.6% just a few days ago.
Of course, these odds could still shift between now and December 25, but it is indicative of where bookmakers think we’ll most likely see a flurry of the white stuff.
Scotland and Northern England Most Likely
Last year snow fell in Shetland and parts of eastern Scotland enjoyed snow on Christmas Day.
Residents in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire and Strathallan in Perthshire awoke to find the roads and fields flush white, before snow was also recorded in the Yorkshire Dales.
“We have seen snowfall on Christmas Day, so it is officially a white Christmas,” said the Met Office.
Unfortunately, in parts of Northern Ireland an expected snow blast turned into a wet weather warning for County Down and County Armagh.
This year, Aberdeenshire could still get a smattering of snow, and bookies reckon Scotland and parts of Northern England should prepare themselves for snow on Christmas Day.
Last year, William Hill priced Leeds at 4/1 to witness snow on Christmas Day.
The city had moved alongside those in Edinburgh and Glasgow as one of the frontrunners at 4/7 earlier in the week, but (like last year) the Yorkshire city is out to a 4/1 chance of the white stuff.
Elsewhere, Befast (9/2), Manchester (5/1) and Birmingham (8/1) are all odds-against to enjoy a white Christmas.
It goes to show how difficult it is to predict the weather week before the big day, and bookies will certainly be ready to flip their odds as soon as the Met Office confirms the likely weather patterns ahead of December 25.
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