Will We Have A White Christmas?

By Author: David James
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In the UK this is probably one of the most talked about discussions every year. People always wonder whether this year may be the year we see some snow fall on Christmas Day. In fact it is such big business that bookies make thousands of pounds every year from people who hedge their bets that we will. So we take a look at whether 2010 could be the year that we really do have a white Christmas. Although officially there was a white Christmas is 2006 because a few flakes of snow fell on the MET office roof, London hasn't been blanketed by snow on Christmas Day since 1895, but could this year be the year we see a rise in snowfall?

You would have to have been either out of the country or locked in a windowless room to not have noticed the huge amounts of snow covering the country over the last week. Satellite pictures from above the UK show an entire blanket of white, except some patches in Ireland. And it is safe to say it was definitely a surprise. Although the UK is now used to occasional bursts of snow, they rarely occur in November. So does this mean we could be in for a white Christmas, or did the snow fall just a month ...
... too early?

Some of the online weather forecasting sites are already trying to predict as far up as the 20th December and it would appear that there is no snow predicted as of yet. However that doesn't mean it won't happen. Because, after all, the weather forecasts often struggle to predict a few days ahead let alone two weeks - so we could still be lucky and have a white Christmas.

What would a white Christmas mean? If it does happen, there are a few consequences, mainly for the bookies. Every year millions of pounds are bet that there will be a white Christmas, and that means big money for the bookies. So if you are looking to chance your luck and bet on it, there are often odds going of 50:1 - it could be well worth your while! However be careful, because if it looks as if there actually may be a white Christmas these odds drop quicker than you can say "White Christmas". So ensure that you place your bet at the opportune moment. Other than a set of very happy or miserable bookies, there aren't many huge consequences for a white Christmas, unless of course the weather becomes so bad that people cannot travel on the roads or railways - travel disruptions are caused which means that travel to see family and friends on this special day is difficult or often impossible.

So, to conclude, it is very hard to tell whether there will or won't be a white Christmas this year. There is no denying that there have already been some very cold spells and we are probably set for a very cold Christmas, but whether it will be white is unknown as of yet.
About Author:
Looking uncannily like a clothed snowman, David James writes on stocking fillers and all manner of Christmas gifts for the gifts retailer Find Me A Gift.