Unlike the winter of 2019-2020, when we were repeatedly (and dramatically) warned of a chilly winter, similar weather warning haven't (yet) been issued for Christmas 2021 - and even if we were due 'Arctic blasts', that doesn't necessarily translate to a thick dusting of the white stuff. What are the odds of a white Christmas this year in London? Scenes like this are the stuff of Christmas cards and photoshop, rather than a regular occurrence in London. Meteorological service The Met Office sets a pretty low bar for the definition of a white Christmas 'one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK'.īy that definition, half of all Christmasses are expected to be defined as 'white' in the UK and the last time the UK had a white Christmas was 2020 - although none of it settled, and London didn't see any of the action. Up to 25cm (10in) of snow fell in certain parts of the capital over Christmas week, meaning London woke up to a white (well, slushy grey) blanket on Christmas Day. Much of the country was in the grip of a cold spell for most of December that year, with transport disrupted and flights at Heathrow, Gatwick and City Airports cancelled. For snowy festivities, we need to rewind back to December 2010. The last severely snowy spell in London and the south-east was March 2018's Beast From The East - but of course, that missed Christmas. When did it last snow in London at Christmas? Image: Shuttertstock Plus, December is only the beginning of the UK winter, meaning it's more likely to snow in January, February or even March than it is in December - but of course, that doesn't make for such a good Christmas card image.
Given that London's already running on an urban microclimate that makes it warmer than the surrounding countryside, snowflakes don't stand much of a chance. In a nutshell, not often, and not heavily. Does it snow in London at Christmas? Image: Shutterstock
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