There are increasing chances of white Christmas in some areas of Britain as forecasters closely monitor a “battleground” of milder and wetter weather conditions and icy Arctic air.
Tomorrow and today are expected to shine brighter than yesterday after an extremely foggy and gloomy weekend. The temperatures dropped to -9.1C in Braemar in Cairngorms.
But from Wednesday, it is expected to turn chillier again, just ahead of the onset of wetter air from an area of low pressure moving in from the Atlantic, which is expected lead to snow in upland areas going into Christmas Eve.
According to the Met Office, this virus could even reach low-lying areas of England, Scotland and the Midlands. It advised that drivers who travel this week should be prepared for freezing, windy conditions.
Ladbrokes and Coral both offer Edinburgh odds-on at 4-5 for white Christmas. Newcastle, however, is evens. London, Birmingham, and London are 7-4, and Cardiff, Belfast, both 2, and 2-1 respectively.
On Christmas Day 2010, snow covers the Black Mountains of the Brecon Beacons, Wales. On December 25, 2010, snow fell across large parts of the country. This was in 2010 when 83% of weather stations reported snow.
Weather air moving in from the Atlantic from lower pressure is likely to cause snow in highland regions going into Christmas Eve
Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said: ‘From Wednesday evening we will see wetter, milder conditions for southern and western areas, while to the north it will remain cold and bright.
“It is at this boundary that we might see snow through Thursday or Friday. There is still a lot of uncertainty as to when exactly and where.
“Any snowfall that is significant will be likely to occur on higher ground. However, those who travel in the weeks leading up to Christmas need to prepare themselves for cold, wet conditions.
She added: ‘We could see some snow showers over the hills in northern parts of the UK – it’s probably the most likely place to see any snow. Although it is possible to see sleety, snowy conditions further south than this, there are still some questions.
BBC meteorologist Sarah Keith-Lucas describes it as a “battleground” with cold air flowing in from the North and milder air coming in from South-West as the holiday weekend nears.
BBC Weather forecasts London to experience 52F temperatures (11C) Christmas Day.
However, forecasters do not expect disruptive wind to occur.
On December 25, 2010, snow fell across large swathes of the country. 83% of weather stations had reported snow.
This was the fourth occasion since 1960 that this has been achieved in at least 40% of UK areas.
Tomorrow and today are likely to be dry, with brighter spells than the weekend. However, temperatures will plummet to as low as 28F tomorrow night in parts of the South.
According to current conditions, the outlook after Christmas looks good for another period of high pressure. This spell will lead to a return in settled, cold, and dry conditions.
Braemar, in the Cairngorms, reached -8.9C (16F) on Saturday night. This was the coldest night this winter. The temperature dropped to -9.1C (115.6F) at the same spot last night.