The demand on weather forecasters to produce forecasts for Christmas increases as growing numbers of us hope for a white Christmas.
But what is the weather forecast for 2018 going to be like?
That’s a difficult question since most weather forecasters will struggle to predict the weather several days beforehand but they can study weather charts and plans to make a fairly good guess.
One interesting aside is that bookmakers are reducing the odds they offer on the UK having a white Christmas in 2018 – which means they stand to make a big payout should just one snowflake fall on London’s weather centre on Christmas Day.
So, while the country is predicted to have the coldest winter ever on record this year, will there be a snowstorm?
Arctic blasts from the beginning of December
Some weather forecasters have been predicting arctic blasts from the beginning of December, though the Met Office has had to step in and set the issue straight.
At the time of writing, the bookmaker Coral is offering odds on the coldest winter since records began of 6/4. They are also offering 1/4 that snow will fall in London before November’s end.
A spokesman for Coral said: “We may be enjoying autumn sunshine for now but the signs are pointing to a bleak winter and there are weeks of snow being forecast for the Christmas period.
“I would suggest there’s a real chance that this winter could enter the record books as the coldest ever.”
One forecaster told a national radio station that between Christmas and New Year we are likely to see low-pressure systems building-up from the Atlantic.
‘Marking Christmas as bringing some potentially hazardous weather conditions’
Will we be having a white Christmas for 2018?
He explained: “These systems will clash with cold air that has pooled over the UK and will bring crippling snowfall, though we must allow for deviation as it’s some time away but we are marking Christmas as bringing some potentially hazardous weather conditions along with widespread snow.”
Indeed, the Met Office says it’s too early to predict whether Christmas Day will be a white Christmas.
The last time it was officially a white Christmas was in 2010 when there was widespread snowfall across Scotland, parts of Wales, Northern Ireland, the north-east and the Midlands. Even the far south-west of England received some snow.
The Met Office says that if you’re planning a journey during winter, but particularly at Christmas time, then it will be worth spending time being prepared.
That’s because there’s nothing worse than breaking down in cold and wet weather and you’ll need to have your vehicle prepared and it may be a good idea to have hot drinks and snacks in the car wherever you are travelling.
Regular weather updates
It’s also important to have regular weather updates to ensure you’re never caught out.
However, a visit to the weatheroutlook.com site highlights that a seasonal computer model helps give an idea to weather trends and they will be regularly updating their prediction and they offer a countdown to their Christmas Day forecast.
Essentially, for anybody who is interested in knowing whether we are going to have a white Christmas, then you’ll need to wait until the second week in December when the professionals will have a better idea of what the weather will bring but it increasingly appears that the end of December will be cold and very probably covered in snow.
