Winter 2026–27 · UK
Will it snow in the UK this winter?
Almost certainly, somewhere. The real questions are where and when. The heart of the season runs from December to February, and snow is far more likely in the north and east than on the south and west coasts. Here is what 319 winters of station records say, and what this year looks like so far.
Christmas 2026
11%
chance of a widely white Christmas · 70 days to go. See the full Christmas forecast →
Weather pattern now
North Atlantic Oscillation: close to neutral (-0.1)
A neutral NAO tilts the odds neither way, so snow chances sit close to normal for the time of year. It is a guide for the next few weeks, not the whole winter.
When does it snow in the UK?
Average days with snow on the ground (1 cm or more), across 14 UK stations, by month.
December, January and February are about equally snowy on average, but February is the month most likely to bring any snow at all. Even then, a typical station has snow on the ground on only a day or two - which is why snow on one particular day, like Christmas, is rarer than most people expect.
How often does it snow where you live?
Observed at each station, winters 1991–25.
| Area | Winters with snow | Snowy days a winter | Snow in December | Usually first settles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AberdeenDyce station | 91% | 13.9 | 64% of years | 3 December |
| ShetlandLerwick station | 100% | 12.8 | 55% of years | 5 December |
| SuffolkWattisham station | 78% | 6.5 | 37% of years | 28 December |
| LincolnWaddington station | 82% | 6.2 | 29% of years | 19 January |
| North YorkshireLeeming station | 81% | 6 | 33% of years | 29 December |
| FifeLeuchars station | 74% | 5.8 | 30% of years | 31 December |
| ShropshireShawbury station | 72% | 4.6 | 28% of years | 18 January |
| BelfastAldergrove station | 63% | 3.4 | 26% of years | 23 December |
| Western IslesStornoway station | 61% | 3.3 | 28% of years | 8 January |
| East KentManston station | 36% | 2.7 | 18% of years | 17 December |
| WiltshireLyneham station | 65% | 2.6 | 30% of years | 29 January |
| LondonHeathrow station | 47% | 1.9 | 18% of years | 13 January |
| BournemouthHurn station | 35% | 1 | 4% of years | 3 February |
| CornwallCamborne station | 27% | 0.8 | 5% of years | 27 January |
Will it snow in your town this Christmas?
Every UK town, village and postcode has its own Christmas snow odds from our 1 km model.
- Will it snow in London?
- Will it snow in Birmingham?
- Will it snow in Glasgow?
- Will it snow in Manchester?
- Will it snow in Sheffield?
- Will it snow in Leeds?
- Will it snow in Edinburgh?
- Will it snow in Liverpool?
- Will it snow in Bristol?
- Will it snow in Cardiff?
- Will it snow in Leicester?
- Will it snow in Bradford?
- Will it snow in Belfast?
- Will it snow in Coventry?
- Will it snow in Brent?
- Will it snow in Birkenhead?
- Will it snow in Nottingham?
- Will it snow in Islington?
- Will it snow in Reading?
- Will it snow in Kingston upon Hull?
- Will it snow in Preston?
- Will it snow in Swansea?
- Will it snow in Newcastle upon Tyne?
- Will it snow in Southend-on-Sea?
Frequently asked questions
- Will it snow in the UK in 2026?
- Almost certainly somewhere. Snow lay on the ground in 91% of winters at Aberdeen, and in most winters along Scotland's east coast and across northern and eastern England. The south and west coasts see it far less: London (Heathrow) in 47% of winters, Cornwall in about a quarter.
- When does it usually snow in the UK?
- Mostly between December and February. Across our 14 stations, snow lies on about 1.4 days in an average December, 1.4 in January and 1.3 in February, against 0.3 in November and 0.7 in March. February is the month most likely to bring any snow at all (35% of years at a typical station). In the north east of Scotland snow typically first settles in early December; across much of England, not until late December or January.
- Will it snow in December 2026?
- At a typical UK station, snow lies at least once in about 29% of Decembers - nearer two in three in Aberdeen and one in six in London. A cold, blocked pattern (negative NAO) in early December raises those odds; the forecast sharpens about two weeks out.
- Will it snow this Christmas?
- The chance of a widely white Christmas 2026 - falling snow reaching at least a tenth of UK towns - is 11%. At any single spot it is nearer 4%, rising to 16% in Banchory. Look up your own town for its odds.
- Where is the snowiest place in the UK?
- Among lowland towns, the north east of Scotland: Aberdeen averages 13.9 days of lying snow a winter. The Cairngorms and other high ground see far more, but few people live there.
Station records: NOAA/NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (public domain), snow depth of at least 1 cm, quality-flagged values removed, complete winters only. NAO: NOAA Climate Prediction Center daily index, seven-day mean. These are long-run odds and the current pattern, not a day-by-day forecast.