Dreaming of a white Christmas? Don't bet on it
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Chances are you are going to be disappointed.
Experts today predicted the chances of the white stuff falling on December 25.
Their answer for the Midlands is precisely 12 per cent.
That means anyone tempted to stick a tenner should probably leave their money in their pocket. The current betting odds for flakes to fall on the weather station at currently 6-1.
The Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre today provided its prediction looking at long term forecasts and also data from the last 25 years.
Experts from the Met Office have helped set up a ‘Winter Weather Calculator’, in which people can type in a date and their region and find out how likely it is to snow.
The calculator, sponsored by Barratt Homes, shows that, despite last year’s big chill, the odds of it snowing on any one day are always long.
Indicators show that snow could fall on December 27, but any predictions this early are notoriously inaccurate.
The last white Christmas happened in 2004, when our region enjoyed a dumping of snow. The highest depth of snow for the West Midlands between December 21 and January 4 was recorded as around four inches.
Steven Davey, industry and infrastructure manager at the Met Office, said: “We were delighted to help with the barometer. It is a novel way to celebrate the positive side of snowfall in the UK. While we know in the UK that weather history isn’t a great way of predicting the weather future, we’re pleased our historical data can give people a nostalgic trip down memory lane to Christmases of the recent past.
“The Met Office provides trusted forecasts to the public as well as sector specific forecasts to UK industry to mitigate the effects of the weather.
“If one was looking for a forecast I would firstly point them in the direction of the Met Office website and app for more information.”
The 12 per cent prediction comes amid speculation that the UK could also be in line for the coldest winter in eight years.
Forecasters say icy winds from Siberia are likely to sweep in over the festive period.
Scientists say the jet streams, high in the atmosphere, are expected to shift so that colder weather could fall over the UK.
Last winter’s Beast from the East was caused be a sustained period of cold air coming from Eastern Europe.
This time around the start of winter has been unseasonably mild.
