Snow, sleet and rain moved across parts of Scotland, with Tulloch Bridge and Aviemore recording snowflakes, the Met Office said. The forecaster said this made Christmas Day 2023 an “official white Christmas”, which is defined by at least one snowflake falling on 25 December.
More than 50% of Christmases have been classified as white since 1960. Last year was one of them. While no weather stations recorded any lying snow, 9% recorded falling snow. 2021 was also classified as a white Christmas with snow in Braemar and Aboyne in Aberdeenshire, Strathallan in Perthshire and across Shetland.
When was the last time it snowed on Christmas in Scotland?
Widespread lying snow is the classification where more than 40% of recording stations in the UK see it on the ground. The last time that happened was 2010.
What is the weather like in Scotland for Christmas?
A mixed festive season: Mild, windy and unsettled with some snow in Scotland. A UK weather split for Christmas: Mild and windy in the south, with the potential for snow in northern Scotland. December 2023 is shaping up as very mild, but there is a chance of colder post-Christmas weather in Scotland.
Tulloch Bridge and Aviemore in Scotland recorded a mixture of rain and snow on Christmas day - despite parts of the country reaching the highest minimum daily temperature on record for 25 December.
Met Office forecasters confirmed "some snow falling across the Scottish high ground" just after midday on Monday. Christmas 2023 is officially a white one - despite parts of the country reaching the highest minimum daily temperature on record for 25 December.
According to those maps, Scotland will get some snow on Saturday, December 23 and some parts of northern England will see snowfall on Christmas Eve. It forecasts that the most affected areas could witness up to 9.5 inches of snow on the ground.
December, January and February are generally the coldest months in Scotland, with the average maximum temperature usually around 5°C (41°F). The average number of days with snow falling in Scotland ranges from 10-20 days. However, the peaks and mountains of the Highlands experience around 40 days of falling snow.
Andy Page is a Met Office Chief Forecaster. He said: “Parts of the higher ground of Scotland may see temporary snow accumulations of 5-10cm, while up to 25mm of rain is expected in Wales, Northern Ireland and lower levels in Scotland.
A white Christmas has been officially confirmed by the Met Office following snowfall in the Highlands of Scotland. A mixture of rain and snow was reported in Tulloch Bridge and Aviemore on Monday afternoon despite mild temperatures elsewhere.
The Met Office has declared this year an official white Christmas after snow fell in parts of the UK.. The Met Office recorded snow, sleet, and rain across parts of Scotland, with Tulloch Bridge and Aviemore seeing flakes fall.
Statistically, the snowiest place in the UK is the Cairngorms in Scotland, with 76.2 days of snow or sleet falling on average. Cornwall is the least likely to get snow, with an average of only 7.4 days of snow or sleet falling a year.
There is snow forecast to fall in Scotland over the next week, in at least 5 Ski Resorts including Cairngorm Mountain, Glencoe, Glenshee, Nevis Range and The Lecht.
Snow, sleet and rain moved across parts of Scotland, with Tulloch Bridge and Aviemore recording flakes falling, the Met Office announced on X, formerly Twitter. The forecasting body said it made Monday an "official white Christmas" - defined by them as a single snowflake falling on December 25.
What are December temperatures in Scotland? The daily average for December is 5°C (41°F). But you can expect average temperatures to be anywhere between 0°C (32°F) and 11°C (55°F).
Glasgow can see snowflakes from December through March, with the likelihood increasing as the winter deepens. January and February are the months with the highest chance of snow, and they correlate with the dip in temperatures.
In Scotland's cities including Edinburgh, snow occurences tend to be a rarity. But whether you get to experience a Glasgow winter or the festive season in Aberdeen, Scotland's cities are still special places at this time of year.
Snow and rain are expected to see Glasgow out of 2023. According to the MET Office, the last few days of the year will bring "unsettled" weather. Forecasters say this will bring strong winds, rain and even snow.
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 was the last time we had snow in December UK?
The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was back in 2010. It was extremely unusual, as not only was there snow on the ground at 83 per cent of stations (the highest amount ever recorded) but snow or sleet also fell at 19 per cent of stations.
