The Weather Outlook

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Brian Gaze
27 December 2025 12:51:41
This isn’t intended to be scientific, so two people could score the same location differently. The score is out of 10, with 0 being the least snowy and 10 the most snowy.

I’ll go first and give Berkhamsted, on the edge of the Chilterns, 5/10. 

I’ve lived in various parts of the UK over the years and think this is a reasonable score. One thing I’ve noticed is that the general picture is that the north is snowier than the south (no surprises there), but there are big differences within the regions themselves. There are parts of the north that are dreadful for snow and parts of the south that are relatively decent.


Brian Gaze

Berkhamsted

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Ally Pally Snowman
27 December 2025 13:10:20
Based on your 5/10 Brian I'd say 4/10 here. As we get less than you. We do seem to be a bit to east for snow from the west and a bit to far west to really benefit from easterlies. But we stay cold here, when we had snow 3 years ago it stayed for a week with little melt compared to places further south .
Bishop's Stortford 85m ASL.
NMA
  • NMA
  • Advanced Member
27 December 2025 14:13:22
I'd give here well below 2 based on recent years.  
Vale of the Great Dairies

South Dorset

Elevation 60m 197ft

picturesareme
27 December 2025 14:28:02
Fat zero - Saudi Arabia probably see more snow than here 😂
Essan
27 December 2025 14:41:03

Fat zero - Saudi Arabia probably see more snow than here 😂

Originally Posted by: picturesareme 

That they do!

https://www.dawn.com/news/1962019/saudi-arabia-qatar-have-a-white-winter-as-snowfall-hits-northern-areas  


Andy

Evesham, Worcs, Albion - 35m asl

Weather & Earth Science News 

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Windy Willow
27 December 2025 15:46:12
This is my second winter here so it's a bit to soon to give a fair rating, yet.
South Holland, Lincs 5m/16ft ASL

When I saw corruption, I was forced to find truth on my own. I couldn't swallow the hypocrisy.

Barry White

It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine) - R.E.M.

Retron
27 December 2025 16:32:58
It's only fair to do it by decades here as it's changed so much!

1980s - 10/10 (1987 aced it)

1990s - 8/10 (1991 amongst others was awesome)

2000s - 6/10 (the last true easterly)

2010s - 5/10 (the BftE saved it)

2020s - 1/10 (one snowcover at 9 AM event)

It's why, incidentally, I've never wanted to move from here. In the right conditions - so rare nowadays - it can be one of the snowiest places in the country.


Leysdown, north Kent
roadrunnerajn
27 December 2025 16:33:28
Mmmm..good question.. I would have to say based on my location probably a 1 or 2 out of 10. We have hills and if the set up is right we can do well but it’s rare. 

If snow falls we need a frost to keep it which is hard with the sea on three sides. If any Atlantic systems move in whilst cold air is over us any snow will soon turn to rain if it doesn’t start as rain in the first place.

The area I was brought up in which was on the eastern side of the Peak District I would rate as a 10. Any snow from the east would move across Lincolnshire and hit the hills and leave large amounts..sometimes. Depressions from the west could give blizzard like conditions if the cold air was already in place. A NW wind did OK as well. The only truly dry direction was a direct northerly but this was extremely cold. Happy days


Germoe, part of the breakaway Celtic Republic. 80m asl
DEW
  • DEW
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27 December 2025 16:57:29
"It has been remarked, that less snow falls here than any other place of equal extent in England; occasioned by its being sheltered on the north and north-east by the hills and warmed from the south by breezes from the sea"

Alexander Hay, The History of Chichester, 1804 [page 2]

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_History_of_Chichester/8A4wAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 

He's right - I'd give Chichester a grudging 1/10.


War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

Chunky Pea
27 December 2025 17:11:11
It's a given that we'll see snow at some stage in the winter here. Could be a once off, or very frequent and with a range of a brief dusting to full-on blizzards giving many inches (even multiple feet if we go by early 20th century accounts). All depends on the mood of the weather fronts in any particular year.  Year by year though I become less and less interested in the idea of snow. A good, solid, thick white frost is more pure and pleasing on the senses than snow in my humble opinion. 
Patrick,

East Galway, Ireland.

scillydave
27 December 2025 22:34:33
I'm in the Vale of Glamorgan currently and that's very much a 3 out of ten. Prone to the occasional blizzard but rare as hen's teeth these days.

My previous home of Birdlip (just shy of 300m asl in the Cotswolds) was a solid 8 out of ten. I had laying snow of at least 15cm in every year of the 6 that I was there and numerous smaller falls. It also snowed in every November and April that I was there. Absolutely fabulous in winter.


Currently living at roughly 65m asl North of Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Formerly of, Birdlip, highest village in the Cotswolds and snow heaven in winter; Hawkinge in Kent - roof of the South downs and Isles of Scilly, paradise in the UK.

Roger Parsons
28 December 2025 05:21:57
We've lived her since 1984. My impression is we have had averaged maybe 4 out of 10 good snowfalls in our fenland locations, more in the 80s and 90s than now, with snow rollers, filled dykes and impossible roads. A friend used to speak of "The horseshoe round The Wash" as where it snow trended to go.
RogerP

West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.

William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830

moomin75
28 December 2025 05:32:20
You won't be surprised to know, I'm a 0 or 1 out of 10 at best. In the heart of the Windrush Valley, we are sheltered from all directions. A mile and a half up the road though, I can get to a snow line fairly quickly, but in Witney itself, we see precious little with what is genuinely a real micro climate.
Witney, Oxfordshire

100m ASL

Saint Snow
28 December 2025 19:37:53
Funny one, this.

We seem to miss out on snowfalls that many others get (1987, 2018 'bfte', as well as some less notable events), but enjoy falls when other areas miss out (essentially, easterlies are generally dry, but cold NW'lies bring convective snow/graupel showers and the occasional small front)

We've had snow lying (criteria: a min 1cm for at least 6 hours) almost every winter. And some have lasted several days. But I don't think we've had any over 5cm since 2013, most ranging 1-2cm. Indeed, in my lifetime (53) we've never had a real bonanza fall (+30cm) like a lot if areas seem to have done 

Trying to judge against other places in the UK, I'd give:

For regularity:  6/10

For depth/quality:  3/10


Martin

Home: St Helens (26m asl) Work: Manchester (75m asl)

A TWO addict since 14/12/01

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Aneurin Bevan

croydon courier
28 December 2025 22:07:09
I'd say 1/10. Croydon is south of the M4, so that's a big hindrance. Anything that comes from the East either runs out of steam at the M25, or slides south of it, thanks to the Downs (we got nothing from the BftE in 2018). I've commented before that Croydon seems to have a snow shield. The last time we had meaningful snowfall which stuck around for more than 24 hours was Jan 2013. Since then maybe only once or twice have we even had a light dusting which was still laying in patches the next day. There can't be many places that have had less than that, surely!
Sol
29 December 2025 04:12:52
I believe it can happen again. Just like back in 2010 🙂 

Crepuscular Ray
29 December 2025 07:43:09
I'm from the Yorkshire Dales area and lived there until I was 25 (1958-1983) so experienced some amazing snowfalls. I'd say 9/10 for there.

1983-2008 I lived just south of Nottingham and again a decent area for snowfalls, especially from the east I'd score it 6/10

Since 2008 I've lived in Edinburgh, 2 miles south of The Castle. Being on the coast and well sheltered by the Highlands the city itself isn't brilliant, I'd say 5/10. However Nov/Dec 2010 was incredible with over 20cm for a month! If I travel a few miles south into The Pentlands & Borders then snow frequency increases rapidly


Jerry

Edinburgh, in the frost hollow below Blackford Hill

Brian Gaze
29 December 2025 08:10:36

I'd say 1/10. Croydon is south of the M4, so that's a big hindrance. Anything that comes from the East either runs out of steam at the M25, or slides south of it, thanks to the Downs (we got nothing from the BftE in 2018). I've commented before that Croydon seems to have a snow shield. The last time we had meaningful snowfall which stuck around for more than 24 hours was Jan 2013. Since then maybe only once or twice have we even had a light dusting which was still laying in patches the next day. There can't be many places that have had less than that, surely!

Originally Posted by: croydon courier 

You're about 35 miles from me. I've just quickly scanned my Google Photos and since 2016 I've recorded these snow events when several cms or more accumulated for a day at least. I've omitted some falls, for example the two recent November ones because the snow didn't hang around for long enough. 

17 Jan 2016

10 Dec 2017

Feb / Mar 2018

22 Jan 2019

30 Jan 2019

24 Jan 2021

11 Dec 2022

4 Jan 2024


Brian Gaze

Berkhamsted

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doctormog
29 December 2025 08:15:56
Ask me in a week 😂

Seriously though we tend to do well when the wind is from a northerly quarter but are more sheltered from anything from the west by the mountains. Anything from the east (off the sea) is almost always wet rather than white. Overall I would say 6 out of 10. 


DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
29 December 2025 08:26:21

You're about 35 miles from me. I've just quickly scanned my Google Photos and since 2016 I've recorded these snow events when several cms or more accumulated for a day at least. I've omitted some falls, for example the two recent November ones because the snow didn't hang around for long enough. 

Originally Posted by: Brian Gaze 

CC could well be right though. Allow first of all for the height difference and heat island effects between High Wycombe (the clue is in the name) and Croydon. 

Then in the 26 years I lived in Kent (1976-2002) I can remember several frustrating instances of snowfalls from the NW fading out before getting to mid-Kent; equally there were a few glorious snowfalls from NE-lies e.g. Thames streamers which smothered Kent but had little or no effect on S London.


War is God's way of teaching Americans geography - Ambrose Bierce

Chichester 12m asl

Brian Gaze
29 December 2025 08:34:40

CC could well be right though. Allow first of all for the height difference and heat island effects between High Wycombe (the clue is in the name) and Croydon. 

Originally Posted by: DEW 

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting he was wrong. I drew attention to it because it highlights that differences within regions can be almost as great as the north to south split.


Brian Gaze

Berkhamsted

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Sasa
  • Sasa
  • Advanced Member
29 December 2025 08:58:20

I'd say 1/10. Croydon is south of the M4, so that's a big hindrance. Anything that comes from the East either runs out of steam at the M25, or slides south of it, thanks to the Downs (we got nothing from the BftE in 2018). I've commented before that Croydon seems to have a snow shield. The last time we had meaningful snowfall which stuck around for more than 24 hours was Jan 2013. Since then maybe only once or twice have we even had a light dusting which was still laying in patches the next day. There can't be many places that have had less than that, surely!

Originally Posted by: croydon courier 

If Croydon is a 1/10, then what is Kingston upon Thames?

Firstly, I’m on the wrong side of the A3. Yes, correct  and also on the wrong side of the M4, hence I call it the snow desert of Surrey.

IMO Croydon is actually a much better place for snow. Many times I call my friend and he sends me pictures of his snow-covered garden, while I get the occasional sleet shower at best. If I’m lucky, I might see a bit more if I go to David Lloyd Raynes Park, which is surprise  on the other side of the A3.


Kingston Upon Thames
speckledjim
29 December 2025 09:11:28
Tend to do quite well in my location in Yorkshire so I'd probably score it as 6/10. Definitely not as good though as say Sheffield or the hills to the north west and north east
Thorner, West Yorkshire



Journalism is organised gossip

lanky
29 December 2025 09:44:16

If Croydon is a 1/10, then what is Kingston upon Thames?

Firstly, I’m on the wrong side of the A3. Yes, correct  and also on the wrong side of the M4, hence I call it the snow desert of Surrey.

IMO Croydon is actually a much better place for snow. Many times I call my friend and he sends me pictures of his snow-covered garden, while I get the occasional sleet shower at best. If I’m lucky, I might see a bit more if I go to David Lloyd Raynes Park, which is surprise  on the other side of the A3.

Originally Posted by: Sasa 

Very similar if not even a bit worse here in Richmond at about 6m asl.  Where I come from in Bromley, Kent and where I lived for many years in Sutton, Surrey the higher ground, distance from the London Heat Island and the slightly further east longitude make them a lot more favourable. On my photo collection of the last 17 years Feb 2009 stands out as the best as in Richmond we got about 15cm from a Thames Estuary streamer and then Dec 2010 (10cm) from a small perturbation in the easterly flow. Feb/Mar 2018 gave about 6cm then Jan 2013 and Jan 2010 4cm and Jan 2021 1-2cm

That's everything apart from some dustings in the last 17 years so about 2/10 for me


Martin

Richmond, Surrey

Sasa
  • Sasa
  • Advanced Member
29 December 2025 09:53:01

Very similar if not even a bit worse here in Richmond at about 6m asl.  Where I come from in Bromley, Kent and where I lived for many years in Sutton, Surrey the higher ground, distance from the London Heat Island and the slightly further east longitude make them a lot more favourable. On my photo collection of the last 17 years Feb 2009 stands out as the best as in Richmond we got about 15cm from a Thames Estuary streamer and then Dec 2010 (10cm) from a small perturbation in the easterly flow. Feb/Mar 2018 gave about 6cm then Jan 2013 and Jan 2010 4cm and Jan 2021 1-2cm

That's everything apart from some dustings in the last 17 years so about 2/10 for me

Originally Posted by: lanky 

I think Putney Heath where I used to live gets more and its closer to London but also to the Thames!


Kingston Upon Thames

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