The UK could be in for a chilly festive season
A family take advantage of the Christmas Day snow in 2020(Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
As the weather begins to take a chilly turn and we start the countdown to December, our minds may soon drift towards the festive season. Each year bookies give odds for a “white Christmas”, where at least one snowflake falls in the 24 hours of December 25, and as you’d expect, these odds are different for different parts of the UK.
According to the latest odds from BOYLE Sports, the UK could be in for a chilly festive season as punters start wagering on the likelihood of snowfall on Christmas Day. The Met Office has issued warnings of dropping temperatures this week, sparking the annual conjecture about a White Christmas. The odds for snow at London City Airport on 25th December have been cut to 8/1 (from 12/1) in the last 24 hours.
Cardiff’s odds have also been reduced to 7/1 (from 10/1) for snowfall on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, Aberdeen (6/5) and Edinburgh (15/8) are among the most probable UK locations for snowfall as gifts are unwrapped on the big day next month.
Brian O’Keeffe, spokesperson for BOYLE Sports, said: “It’s that time of year when punters start dreaming of a white Christmas, and the Met Office’s latest weather warning has turned up the heat on the odds.
“Aberdeen is leading the way for a festive flutter, but we’re seeing a snowball effect across the UK as the forecasts get frostier.”
Snow on Christmas Day 2025 – odds
6/5 Aberdeen Airport
15/8 Edinburgh Airport
15/8 Glasgow Airport
9/2 Belfast International Airport
5/1 Liverpool Airport
5/1 Manchester Airport
6/1 Birmingham Airport
6/1 Dublin Airport
7/1 Cardiff Airport
8/1 London City Airport
The last time Merseyside saw real snow close to Christmas was in 2010 when Liverpool experienced a “snowpocalypse”. The thick blanket of snow fell in a matter of hours on December 17, when many workers were celebrating the festive season in the city centre.
When the ECHO previously asked the Met Office why it so rarely snows in the region, experts told us: “Liverpool’s close proximity to the Irish Sea might mean you get more showers because of the moisture in the air, but these are unlikely to turn to snow because the temperature around the coast is actually warmer than it is inland.
“Water warms and cools very slowly; therefore, the sea is actually at its warmest around the autumn, when it’s had the whole summer to heat up. That makes the climate slightly warmer around coastal areas, although it might not feel that way because of the wind chill.
“The Pennines to the northeast also act as a sort of barrier, meaning showers will get pushed up on them, rather than settle on Merseyside.”