A trace of snow fell in Birmingham on Dec.25, 1989. Birmingham also records a trace of snow on Christmas Days in 1993 and 1899, but there are no truly remarkable snowfall reports for the Magic City on Dec. 25.
Birmingham receives 1.6 inches of snow on average, with nearly one half (0.6 inches) falling in the first month of the year. 11.80 inches of snow fell in January 1936. An inch of snow or more falls generally every five years or so in Birmingham in January. January is the cloudiest month of the year.
When did it last snow on Christmas Day in Birmingham UK?
Nothing makes Christmas more magical than waking up a picturesque dusting of snow on the big day. But a proper White Christmas is something we haven't seen for over a decade now. The last time we saw a White Christmas in Birmingham was 2010. This was when snow was widespread across the UK.
Snowfall in Birmingham Town Centre, 28 November 2021 At 4 PM | Snow in Birmingham in Christmas
Will it snow in Birmingham UK 2023?
The experts at OLBG have profiled the latest betting odds and statistics surrounding the chances of a White Christmas taking place in 2023 - and there's a 14.30% chance of snow in Birmingham, so it's not looking particularly promising at this moment in time.
The coldest month is January, with a low of 26 F and an average temperature of 39 F. Snow is relatively rare, although it does occasionally snow in Birmingham during the winter months (and wet, rainy days are common).
What's the coldest it's ever been in Birmingham UK?
During the coldest night recorded, 14 January 1982, the temperature fell to −20.8 °C (−5.4 °F) at Birmingham Airport, but just −14.3 °C (6.3 °F) at Edgbaston, near the city centre.
The climate of Birmingham is oceanic, with quite cold, rainy winters and mild, relatively rainy summers. The city is located in west-central England, in the West Midlands, at an altitude of 140 meters (460 feet).
However, the Dickensian scene of widespread snow lying on the ground on Christmas Day is much rarer. There has only been a widespread covering of snow on the ground (where more than 40% of stations in the UK reported snow on the ground at 9 am) four times since 1960—in 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010.
“For widespread and substantial snow on the ground on Christmas Day, we have to go back to 2010,” said the Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey. Between 1960 and 2020, London had six white Christmases, Cardiff had four and Belfast and Edinburgh each had 11.
Meanwhile in the UK, 2022 was the last white Christmas in the UK with 9% of stations recording snow falling, although none reported any snow lying on the ground. The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was also in 2010.
When did it last snow on Christmas Day in the Midlands?
The UK's last white Christmas technically took place in 2022, when 9 per cent of weather stations recorded snowfall. The last time Britain saw substantial snow on the ground on Christmas Day was in 2010, at 83 per cent of stations.
The Met Office's extended forecast also suggests the potential for snow towards the end of 2023, but these predictions are subject to change. For most of Britain, it is expected that people will experience a wet, but milder Christmas day.
It doesn't snow in London very often – the last major snowfall was in 2009. But there is usually at least a small snow flurry for a few days most years, generally between November and April. It last snowed in London in January 2024.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Birmingham became thea centre of manufacturing and trade, which led to the city earning the nickname "the workshop of the world".
In the Saxon 6th Century Birmingham was just one small settlement in thick forest - the home (ham) of the tribe (ing) of a leader called Birm or Beorma. Geography played a major role in the transformation of Birmingham from a hamlet worth 20 shillings in 1086 into Britain's centre of manufacturing in the 20th Century.
Birmingham was home to the great scientists and inventors Matthew Boulton, James Watt and William Murdoch, leading Birmingham to be the first manufacturing town in the world. The first ever working Steam Engine and the anchor of the Titanic were built in the Black Country.
What is the weather like in Birmingham at Christmas?
The month of December ranks as the second coldest as daytime highs average 60ºF-55ºF from the start to the end of the month, with lows averaging 40ºF-36ºF. The coldest December reading recorded at the Birmingham Airport was 1ºF set back on December 23rd, 1989.
Birmingham offers four distinct seasons to residents and visitors and is one of the few cities in the United States that follows the 'earth science calendar' - meaning it has four seasons of almost equal length starting in March, June, September and December.
July is normally the hottest month but there is little difference from mid-June to mid-August. Rather persistent high humidity adds to the summer discomfort. January is normally the coldest month but there is not much difference from mid-December to mid-February. Overall, winters are relatively mild.
So, although some milder and unsettled weather appears likely, there could be prolonged spells of drier weather as high pressure becomes dominant. It could turn cold at times with the more blocked weather too, though confidence is low on how cold and where may be coldest and see risk of wintry weather.
Only 20 Christmases have seen measurable (greater than a trace) new snowfall since 1893 (or, about 16% of the time). Only four of these days recorded more than an inch.
