White Christmas odds in Yorkshire: How likely will it snow on Christmas Day in the region? Snow predictions in 2024 for Yorkshire

Odds comparison sites, Ladbrokes, Betfred and BetMGM, have announced white Christmas predictions in Yorkshire this year and where the city of Leeds ranks among other UK cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The Met Office describes a ‘white Christmas’ to be one snowflake seen falling within the 24-hour time slot of December 25.

Predicting impactful snow is considered very challenging in the UK but there are a number of factors that expert meteorologists at the Met Office look out for, including:

• Where the air has come from; if the air has come from a warmer area or has spent a long time over warm seas, then it would be more difficult to generate snow. If it comes from a colder region, there is a chance of snow being a possibility.
• Very heavy precipitation; most precipitation in the clouds starts off as snow or supercooled raindrops. It often melts before it lands on the ground, however, in winter, intense precipitation can keep temperatures lower closer to the ground.
• When warm air meets cold air; presenters often talk about weather fronts between warm and cold air and in the winter, these fronts can introduce the moisture and conditions for snow to fall.

Ladbrokes has quoted odds of 7/4 on a white Christmas in Yorkshire.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “We have suspended betting on snow this month, but it is 2/1 to be the coldest November on record.

“Many woke up to dustings of snow this week and the odds suggest that the freezing weather could continue this month. It's also given those dreaming of a white Christmas hope, with northern parts of England most likely to have snow on December 25th.”

BetMGM has also announced its prediction.

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UK director at BetMGM, Sam Behar, said: “The recent cold snap has certainly made the prospect of a White Christmas a distinct possibility and we make it 5/1 that snow falls in Leeds on Christmas Day.

“It's more likely for snow to fall in Edinburgh (2/1) and Glasgow (3/1) but we're not ruling a White Christmas in Leeds this year, that's for sure.”

Snowfall to be recorded on Christmas Day, according to BetMGM, are:

1. Edinburgh (airport): 2/1
2. Glasgow (airport): 3/1
3. Liverpool (airport): 5/1
4. Leeds (Leeds Bradford Airport): 5/1
5. Cardiff (airport): 6/1
6. Bristol (airport): 13/2
7. Birmingham (airport): 10/1
8. London (City airport): 10/1

Betfred spokesman, Peter Spencer, said: “Betfred has had difficulties this year sourcing out the odds for whether it’s going to snow this Christmas.

“Normally it’s straightforward, but because of the climate changes that are going on in the world, what’s going on in Spain etc it is quite a volatile matter now predicting the weather, so it is more difficult than ever before.

“However, we do think that for it to snow, and it’s one physical snowflake in the sky, that’s how we determine it, we predict 13/2 at Leeds Bradford Airport to snow on Christmas Day.

“Elsewhere in the country, it’s 4/1 that it snows in Scotland, 5/1 in Manchester, 6/1 in Birmingham, 8/1 in Oxford and 10/1 in Brighton. Those are the latest thoughts on whether it snows on Christmas Day.”