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.
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.
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.
In 2023, it is highly probable that this technical definition of a white Christmas will be met due to expected snowfall in northern Scotland, mainly on higher ground, although for most of the UK it will be a mild and snow-free Christmas.
On average there are 38 days of snow in Scotland, with 26 days of settled snow on the ground. Most of the snow falls in northern mountainous areas like the Cairngorms, Glencoe and Torridon. Generally, snowfall is in the colder months of January and February but can arrive as early as November and stay as late as April.
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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.
Substantial falls of snow can happen right up until May, and sometimes into June and July. Always make sure you check weather conditions for the mountains where you are headed.
There was another white Christmas in 2010, it was also the coldest Christmas Day ever recorded in the United Kingdom. In 2014, parts of the Northern Isles had a white Christmas and again in 2017, Northern England and Southern Scotland had a white Christmas.
The last few days of 2023 are forecast to be unsettled, with strong winds, rain and even snow featuring in parts of the UK. An area of low pressure which pushes in from the west on Saturday will be the most dominant feature in the forecast leading up to the new year.
As per the records, the Cairngorms National Park holds the distinction of being the nation's snowiest location. If we go by the reports of the Met Office, while Aviemore sees 66 days of snow annually, the Cairngorm chairlift weather station records 76.
You're much more likely to encounter freezing conditions and snow in the north of Scotland than in the south, while the west coast gets more rain and snow than the east. On the whole you can expect cool and crisp weather, but ice, rain, wind and snow are all possible too.
“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.
The Cairngorms National Park is the snowiest location in the UK and is also the country's leading destination for snow sports. According to the Met Office, Aviemore enjoys 66 days of snow a year, while the weather station at the Cairngorm chairlift has 76.
Scotland occupies the cooler northern section of Great Britain, so temperatures are generally lower than in the rest of the British Isles, with the coldest ever UK temperature of −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F) recorded at Braemar in the Grampian Mountains, on 10 January 1982 and also at Altnaharra, Highland, on 30 December 1995.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It was the coldest winter in the UK since 1740, with. Scotland experiencing temperatures as low as -22°C. For three long months, the mercury hardly rose above.
10 June 1986, heavy snow fell in parts of Scotland. On the A95 road at Glenshee, Tayside 15cm of snow occurred. 2-3 June 1991, snow fell across Grampian.
