A white Christmas in the UK simply needs an observer or an automatic station to report a single snowflake falling on Christmas Day

Will there be a white Christmas this year? But it appears as though those praying for a thick covering of snow this Christmas may be disappointed. For the Met Office to declare a white Christmas, a single snowflake has to be observed falling in the 24 hours of December 25 anywhere in the UK.

The Met Office says it's the question asked more than any other and starts coming in October but it needs to be much closer to the big day to get the answer

A white Christmas in the UK doesn't require a thick blanket of snow. According to the Met Office, just one snowflake falling anywhere in the UK on Christmas Day counts. By that definition, 2023 was a white Christmas, with 11% of weather stations recording snowfall. However, none of it settled on the ground, so it really shouldn't count.

The Met Office has issued its latest forecast for the period leading up to and including Christmas Day - it comes as weather maps suggest several areas could get a White Christmas

The Met Office long-range forecast reads: “Mainly unsettled conditions appear likely for most, with spells of wind and rain followed by showers affecting most areas but especially the north and northwest of the UK. Some sleet and snow is also likely at times, especially on high ground in the north.

Weather maps on WXCharts show snowfall across much of the north on Christmas Day, with the heaviest bouts in Scotland, including Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Wick. Snow is also forecast across much of northern England including Newcastle, Middlesbrough, York, Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Lancaster and Cumbria.

It's possible some Hoosiers could see a white Christmas in Indiana this year, but take that with a grain of salt. While it's still too early in the month to know for sure, one long-range forecast by AccuWeather is predicting a chance of rain or snow around the Indianapolis area for Christmas Day.

Where in the UK could see snow on Christmas Day? The Met Office have stated that northern parts of the UK are most likely to see snowfall over Christmas. Their forecast reads: ‘