Channel 5 is showing "White Christmas of 1981" on Saturday evening.  At least we cannot rule it out at this stage, normally its a done deal by now for a green xmas

Probably the closest to a textbook White Christmas in my lifetime, even if at the age of 2 I can't remember it. Apparently my mum and dad went to a disco in Gravesend on Christmas Eve, and it was snowing as they came out. The snow stopped before midnight, though, and it was a dry Christmas Day with a decent snow cover.

There's only been one occasion since with snow on the ground on Christmas Day, in 2010 - there was a small patch left over from a few days before. And there's also been one day with sleet, and one with about 10 tiny snowflakes which didn't amount to anything, but both of those were, in theory, White Christmases here.

I'm still holding out for a proper one, mind you, snow falling and snow on the ground. The odds of that are still very low, but at least it's a tiny bit higher than the usual zero chance!

---

The only 'true' white Christmas down in deep south (snow falling and settling on Christmas Day) was 1970. Snow fell in showery form on Xmas morning and again Boxing Day. I remember building a snowman in Titchfield, Hampshire where we lived on Christmas afternoon.
1981 was not a technical here as the day itself was cold and mostly dry (maybe a bit of cold rain), although inland there was snow still lying from the 20th.
Now over 50yrs since and still counting!

---

The only 'true' white Christmas down in deep south (snow falling and settling on Christmas Day) was 1970. Snow fell in showery form on Xmas morning and again Boxing Day. I remember building a snowman in Titchfield, Hampshire where we lived on Christmas afternoon.
1981 was not a technical here as the day itself was cold and mostly dry (maybe a bit of cold rain), although inland there was snow still lying from the 20th.
Now over 50yrs since and still counting!

Indeed, 1970 was the last one here as well. My wording was a bit ambiguous, when I said "closest to a textbook White Christmas", I meant the closest we've come without having one - a couple of hours away from it. There has been snow on Boxing Day a few times too, notably in the 90s, but again it's several hours out. It's just one of those weird statistical quirks, a bit like the way until this year the 13th June was the only day in June not to have recorded a high of 30C.

It's good to see the 6z GFS continues the trend from the 0z, albeit via a different mechanism: our intense high slides away eastwards, a new cell forms over the Atlantic and we pull down a cold feed. The 0z had our high wobbling its way west instead.
 

---

The only 'true' white Christmas down in deep south (snow falling and settling on Christmas Day) was 1970. Snow fell in showery form on Xmas morning and again Boxing Day. I remember building a snowman in Titchfield, Hampshire where we lived on Christmas afternoon.
1981 was not a technical here as the day itself was cold and mostly dry (maybe a bit of cold rain), although inland there was snow still lying from the 20th.
Now over 50yrs since and still counting!

Much the same here regarding 1970 and 1981, though in the latter year we still had a good full cover here. Mind you, I've always felt that the bookies' definition of a White Christmas that has become generally accepted, of snow falling on the day itself, is a bit dubious. I imagine they've chosen that over snow lying because it's harder to predict a few days ahead. We just about had over 50% snow cover in 2009 and full cover in 2010.

---

Probably the closest to a textbook White Christmas in my lifetime, even if at the age of 2 I can't remember it. Apparently my mum and dad went to a disco in Gravesend on Christmas Eve, and it was snowing as they came out. The snow stopped before midnight, though, and it was a dry Christmas Day with a decent snow cover.

There's only been one occasion since with snow on the ground on Christmas Day, in 2010 - there was a small patch left over from a few days before. And there's also been one day with sleet, and one with about 10 tiny snowflakes which didn't amount to anything, but both of those were, in theory, White Christmases here.

I'm still holding out for a proper one, mind you, snow falling and snow on the ground. The odds of that are still very low, but at least it's a tiny bit higher than the usual zero chance!

From memory, I've had two *proper* white Xmas's:

1996 (I think) - a cold snap around the 25th was predominantly dry. On the 25th, we woke to a covering of snow that had fallen sometime in the early hours (I'd gone to bed around 1am and it hadn't snowed by then). Was only 1-2cm, but it had already frozen. and I remember deep blue clear skies. The roads were treacherous

2004 - a coldish and unstable NW'ly flow was well forecasted a fair bit in advance. This was the year I had three white Xmas bets that all won. Here, the snow (flitted between flake and soft hail) started early afternoon and the showers kept coming. Left around 5cm by dusk. The skies then cleared and temps plummeted. Again, the roads that night were treacherous; we used to do the in-laws in the day and my parents on the night and we left fairly early.

Plus we've had three with a good level of snow on the ground:

1981 - I remember that by Boxing Day, there'd been a fair bit of partial thaw/re-freeze so it was thick ice

2009 - Again, showers from the NW got more wintry until the weekend before Xmas when they went full snow/soft hail and continued through the week (would freeze under clear skies, then more showers, and so on - the best 'snow on snow' period I can recall here). We had around 12cm lying by Xmas Day. A gentle thaw set in Boxing Day and really hit on the 27th

2010 - We were one of the last regions to get the snow in the spell (although we didn't have to suffer the one or two milder blobs during an overall monumentally cold spell) but when we got it, we really got it. 16cm (was around 25cm just a few miles north of here) fell on Friday 17th, and we hardly lost any depth come Xmas Day. Again, though, the thaw set in on the 27th.

There's been a couple of 'technical white Xmas' incidences, too

---

From memory, I've had two *proper* white Xmas's:

1996 (I think) - a cold snap around the 25th was predominantly dry. On the 25th, we woke to a covering of snow that had fallen sometime in the early hours (I'd gone to bed around 1am and it hadn't snowed by then). Was only 1-2cm, but it had already frozen. and I remember deep blue clear skies. The roads were treacherous

2004 - a coldish and unstable NW'ly flow was well forecasted a fair bit in advance. This was the year I had three white Xmas bets that all won. Here, the snow (flitted between flake and soft hail) started early afternoon and the showers kept coming. Left around 5cm by duck. The skies then cleared and temps plummeted. Again, the roads that night were treacherous; we used to do the in-laws in the day and my parents on the night and we left fairly early.

Plus we've had three with a good level of snow on the ground:

1981 - I remember that by Boxing Day, there'd been a fair bit of partial thaw/re-freeze so it was thick ice

2009 - Again, showers from the NW got more wintry until the weekend before Xmas when they went full snow/soft hail and continued through the week (would freeze under clear skies, then more showers, and so on - the best 'snow on snow' period I can recall here). We had around 12cm lying by Xmas Day. A gentle thaw set in Boxing Day and really hit on the 27th

2010 - We were one of the last regions to get the snow in the spell (although we didn't have to suffer the one or two milder blobs during an overall monumentally cold spell) but when we got it, we really got it. 16cm (was around 25cm just a few miles north of here) fell on Friday 17th, and we hardly lost any depth come Xmas Day. Again, though, the thaw set in on the 27th.

There's been a couple of 'technical white Xmas' incidences, too

1996 - Correct. We were under a northerly flow and it was a polar low type feature that ran down the Irish sea, the year I got a bike for Xmas and couldnt use it for about 2 weeks because of ice

2004 - correct  - I was living in manchester at the time and woke on Xmas day to a covering, which turned white later that day.  Went to Wirral on Boxing day and although it started green and wet, showers started to feed in on more of a NWerly and we ended with about 2-3inches of snow, my brother played in the local pub in a band that night and made for a real xmassy feel.  This was probably the best xmas snow weve had.


1981 - Before my time

2009 - wasnt spectacular on Wirral, we had some frosts, we had to wait for Jan 5th - Things got crazy in Liverpool

2010 - again one of those spells where everywhere but you got their bonanza fall.  We saw an inch or 2.

---

I thought this might be useful to save going OT in the Model Output Thread.

Will reminisce later on 😀

I've only woken to snow on the ground on Christmas Day twice:  1981 (Essex Coast, near Maldon) and 2010 (Evesham).   On both occasions there was heavy snow before Christmas Day - but nothing fell on the day itself.  

Only time I've seen a proper snowfall (ie more than just a few flakes giving a best a slight dusting) on the 25th December was 1989 - I was in a bothy in the Scottish Highlands at the time 😀

With Christmas Eve falling in a Sunday, I reckon this is the best year to have some proper Christmas snowfall - so long as the roads are open again by the 27th!

---

We had one here in 2020 the Covid Christmas.  Locked down in Tier 4 so just me the wife and kids. A random snow shower hit Stortford left a brief covering.  A real freak event as it was the only shower anywhere close . 100s of miles I think.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/snow-pictured-across-uk-brits-23219259%23:~:text%3DDerek%2520Haworth%2520tweeted%2520a%2520photo,2020%2520just%2520got%2520better.%2522%26text%3DMet%2520Office%2520meteorologist%2520John%2520Griffiths,official%2520White%2520Christmas%2520since%25202017.&ved=2ahUKEwi33dy55v-CAxUoVUEAHWOCCMAQFnoECBEQBQ&usg=AOvVaw3DM-JPn-N7xgdA_U9vvNdk 

---

👍

Mods - could you possible transfer the White Xmas memories posts to this one?

---

Probably the closest to a textbook White Christmas in my lifetime, even if at the age of 2 I can't remember it. Apparently my mum and dad went to a disco in Gravesend on Christmas Eve, and it was snowing as they came out. The snow stopped before midnight, though, and it was a dry Christmas Day with a decent snow cover.

There's only been one occasion since with snow on the ground on Christmas Day, in 2010 - there was a small patch left over from a few days before. And there's also been one day with sleet, and one with about 10 tiny snowflakes which didn't amount to anything, but both of those were, in theory, White Christmases here.

I'm still holding out for a proper one, mind you, snow falling and snow on the ground. The odds of that are still very low, but at least it's a tiny bit higher than the usual zero chance!

Cold December with flurries from 8th in 1981, more snow until 11th and heavy but went quickly on 13th. Rest of month was very cold and exciting but without real snow...until I went to stay with my girlfriend in Chatham on 20th. Snow thick on ground and icy packed until 27th, when I went home. Back in Hants, rubbish until the big snow of Thursday 7th January. By 10th I admitted for the first time ever I was tired of snow (and could keenly remember January 1979).

1994 had sleety stuff for a while. 1996 definitely had wake-up-time snowflakes drifting westwards on St Giles Hill (Winchester). 

2009 had leftover snow on Christmas Day in the gutters. 2010 was all front-loaded with several early December moments (especially 1st) but no snow here at Christmas, although an unblemished carpet N of Stockbridge (& still on lower ground) all day. Magic memory.

---

When reminiscing, remember nostalgia is not what it used to be...
 

---

Christmas / or near Christmas Snow for me.

1981 - Xmas Eve - Rain/Snow threatened to melt the 8cm from 21st but some patchy cover held on in the shade for the big day.
1984 - A wintry shower on Boxing day.
1985 - Rain turned to wet snow late on 26th, wintry showers the next day.
1993 - Snow early on the 24th. 1.5cm at Whitfield at 9am.
1996 - A light snow flurry at 2pm on the big day itself, blink and you would have missed it stuff.
2000 - A very brief wintry shower on the 25th
2001 - A light evening wintry on the 26th
2004 - Nearly so nearly on the 25th A wall of snow moved up the Channel and threatened the SE coast. It maintained an w-e movement resulting in just the edge of Dungeness getting a dusting at 5pm.
2005 - Heavy snow showers developed late on the 26th. Light cover by the end of the day.
2010 - The patchiest of light snow cover on the 25th in the shade at home (35m asl). A winter wonderland 2 miles away at 160 m ASL.
2023 - 4cm of fresh snow added to the 4cm from the 23rd as a polar low moves south across the country in the northerly flow.

---

Dec 31st 1962 - left London on the overnight coach for Preston to join friends there for a skiing holiday in Scotland - we were students and doing it on the cheap. 

At a roundabout near St Albans the first flurries of snow were swirling around, but I left that behind. There was then a very slushy journey in an ancient unheated car up to the YH in Glen Isla (Blairgowrie) to wake up the following morning to a foot of powder snow down to the hostel, and a week of blue skies and uninterrupted sunshine.

And we all know what that heralded from early 1963 ...

---

When reminiscing, remember nostalgia is not what it used to be...
 

Yes, it's been downgraded. Almost no one on here can actually remember 1947/48 or even 1962/63.

---

Dec 31st 1962 - left London on the overnight coach for Preston to join friends there for a skiing holiday in Scotland - we were students and doing it on the cheap. 

At a roundabout near St Albans the first flurries of snow were swirling around, but I left that behind. There was then a very slushy journey in an ancient unheated car up to the YH in Glen Isla (Blairgowrie) to wake up the following morning to a foot of powder snow down to the hostel, and a week of blue skies and uninterrupted sunshine.

And we all know what that heralded from early 1963 ...

I could rabbit on about that winter for hours. After a foggy high for 2-3 days around the Solstice, with maxima around 3C, the winter really began when a bitter easterly set in a couple of days before Christmas. The snow began here around dusk on Boxing Day, and we wouldn't see the grass again till 1st March. There was about 7 inches overnight 26th/27th. That fell with only a light wind, but the next snowfall overnight 29th/30th was a classic NEly blizzard. It was worst in the West Country, but even here we had at least another 7". There was so much drifting that it was hard to get an accurate estimate, especially as I was trying to measure snow that was now 14 inches deep with a one foot ruler! And then there was another fall on the evening of New Year's Eve that, though it only lasted two or three hours, added another 4 inches.

After that, though it remained extremely cold, we only had one other heavy fall during the rest of the winter, unlike some other regions.

---

I could rabbit on about that winter for hours. After a foggy high for 2-3 days around the Solstice, with maxima around 3C, the winter really began when a bitter easterly set in a couple of days before Christmas. The snow began here around dusk on Boxing Day, and we wouldn't see the grass again till 1st March. There was about 7 inches overnight 26th/27th. That fell with only a light wind, but the next snowfall overnight 29th/30th was a classic NEly blizzard. It was worst in the West Country, but even here we had at least another 7". There was so much drifting that it was hard to get an accurate estimate, especially as I was trying to measure snow that was now 14 inches deep with a one foot ruler! And then there was another fall on the evening of New Year's Eve that, though it only lasted two or three hours, added another 4 inches.

After that, though it remained extremely cold, we only had one other heavy fall during the rest of the winter, unlike some other regions.

I was living in Merseyside in the winter of 62/63 and after one notable fall early on, there were no further falls and the abiding memory is of months of frost with icy pavements but only on the shady side of the street and increasingly grey looking (due to the air pollution) lying snow in gardens through to March. I can vividly recall on the morning of the start of the thaw and the first rain (there was no snowy breakdown) during school assembly our headmaster gave thanks during payers for deliverance from the awful winter.

---

1968 was another Christmas with snow cover where we lived in the Birningham area . Rain turned to snow Xmas eve pm and was 6 inches or so deep by Christmas morning.   

Yes, it's been downgraded. Almost no one on here can actually remember 1947/48 or even 1962/63.

As one of the few, I can remember 1947 (not 1948) but refrained from commenting here as the first significant snow was just before my 5th birthday in late January of that year. Maybe if we get round to a Jan/Feb memories thread?

---

I can recall 62 3 in Hastings East Sussex and recall the huge piles of snow heaped up half way up lampposts . In the spring the council collected it and dumped it.  I was only 5  . 
the initial falls were the worst there at the end of Dec it snowed for some 36 hours as the front coming south stalled  across the south east  and then the bitter easterlies behind it set in