What is a White Christmas? The official definition
There are lots of ways to go about
betting on the UK weather forecasts, but the most popular option has to be whether we’ll wake up on December 25th to the ultimate Christmassy sight, a thick blanket of snow. But what is a white Christmas?
The official definition, according to the Met Office, is that ‘one snowflake (must) be observed falling’ in the 24 hours of the 25th of December, somewhere in the UK.
There is no need for the snow to settle, and the snow can even melt before it hits the ground. Snow already on the ground which hasn’t melted before Christmas Day doesn’t count either.
Previously, a single location was used to determine whether it was a white Christmas (the Met Office building in London), but there are now a network of weather recording stations across the country which can all look out for snow.
Available White Christmas Betting markets and options
White Xmas betting is pretty much limited to choosing whether it will snow on the big day, or not. However, you can also make wagers on a few other markets.
- A nationwide white Christmas: This bet is very straightforward, and simply requires that one snowflake be observed falling somewhere in the UK.
- A specific location white Christmas: For a more precise bet, you can choose to wager that a precise location will celebrate a white Christmas. Available locations to choose from are often airports or landmarks close to large cities, for example Heathrow airport or Buckingham Palace. These locations are chosen because they can offer official confirmation of a snowfall.
Notable locations for you to bet on a White Christmas
The Met Office have opened up the number of locations in previous years with the White Christmas betting odds in mind. Here are some of the locations that have been used in the past for official confirmation of snowfall on the big day.
| Landmark | Location |
| Met Office | London, England |
| Buckingham Palace | London, England |
| Belfast Airport | Northern Ireland |
| Pittodrie Stadium | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| Coronation Street | Manchester, England |
Who doesn’t love a white Christmas, the song and the weather. To assist you in breaking down the chances of lanes glistening with snow while you write your Christmas cards, we’ve put together a few cool facts and figures about white Christmases.
- The most likely place to experience snowfall on Christmas Day is Aberdeen in Scotland. Scotland is in fact the snowiest place in the UK, with an average of 76.2 days of snowfall in the Cairngorms.
- Cornwall is the least snowiest place in the UK, with only 7.4 days of snowfall per year on average. If you’re thinking this sounds like a lot, then it’s worth noting that this refers to snowflakes falling, rather than snow laying on the ground. In Scotland, there are an average of 26.2 days when snow is on the ground, compared to 15.6 days in the rest of the UK.
- Great Britain enjoys a white Christmas on average once every six years and receives a snowfall once every 3.9 days throughout the month of December.
- 2021, 2022 and 2023 were official white Christmases, while there was no white Christmas in 2024. Will we see the snow return in 2025?
What are the white Christmas betting odds in 2026?
White Xmas odds change every year and vary considerably between locations (as we’ve mentioned, Scotland has a much higher chance of a white crimbo). Early stakes are prepared by bookmakers in the autumn, but change dramatically in December. Weather can be predicted accurately around 5 days in advance, so you can expect the odds to settle from the 20th of December onwards.
It has been reported that Scotland is the favourite to see snow on Christmas Day with a 46% chance of it happening in Aberdeen. Other favourites to see a blanket of snow on the White Christmas betting sites include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds and Newcastle. The UK has already seen some patterns of snow pop up in recent weeks, but all eyes will be on whether it will officially be a White Christmas.
At the moment, only a select few of the
top UK online betting sites. One of the main bookmakers that allows you to bet on White Christmas in 2025 is William Hill.
Check out the White Christmas betting odds below with
William Hill:
- Aberdeen (Airport) - Evens
- Glasgow (Airport) - 6/4
- Edinburgh (Airport) - 6/4
- Leeds (Leeds-Bradford Airport) - 2/1
- Newcastle (Airport) - 7/4
- New York JFK International (Airport) - 5/2
- Belfast (Airport) - 3/1
- Liverpool (Airport) - 2/1
- Manchester (Airport) - 2/1
- Dublin (Airport) - 4/1
- Bristol (Airport) - 5/1
- Cardiff (Airport) - 5/1
- Birmingham (Airport) - 5/1
- Gatwick (Airport) - 6/1
- Southampton (Airport) - 7/1
- Paris Charles de Gaulle International (Airport) - 8/1
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🌨️ A white Christmas happened in 2021, 2022 and 2023
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🌡️ Over 200 MET office weather stations record data
How To Make A Bet On White Christmas In 2026
The vast majority of betting sites offer white Christmas betting odds, so the first step in white Christmas betting is to choose between them. Some offer a larger number of betting markets, while others might provide players with a juicy welcome bonus. The important thing is to pick the site that works best for your staking style.
- Once you’ve chosen a site, you’ll want to go to the
novelty betting
markets section.
- Pick your white Christmas bet. This could be a straight yes or no, or a more complex location based wager, as discussed above.
- It’s then a simple case of identifying the best odds
- If you are happy with your selection, place the bet
- Then wait to see what Jack Frost brings
Our top tips for white Christmas betting success - wrap up warm and get cosy with betting.co.uk
If you’re dreaming of white Christmases, just like the ones you used to know, then here are our top tips for making white Christmas bets.
❄️ 1. Check the Met Office predictions:
Weather prediction is notoriously tricky, hence the distinct variation in bets leading up to the big day. The Met Office can make longer-term guesses, but these may not be 100% correct.
⌛ 2. Choose the right time
The Met Office can more accurately predict weather five days in advance, meaning that odds will drop significantly at this point.
📚 3. Look up the white Christmas record in your chosen location
When making a location-specific white Xmas bet, try to go for places that have had a higher incidence of white Christmases in the past. Hopefully, history could repeat itself!
White Christmas Betting Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you’re the sort of person who cracks out your reindeer jumper as soon as Halloween is over, or whether you’re a confirmed Grinch, white Christmas betting is a great way to enjoy the festive period and a fun novelty bet for those who aren’t so interested in sports.
You can read the rest of our
novelty betting guides
on the betting.co.uk site to find out more about other markets too, from TV talent shows to Eurovision.
White Christmas Betting Pros and Cons
- No specialist knowledge required
- Range of markets has expanded of late
- Markets are unlikely to be heavily monitored by bookmakers
- Forecasts can change quickly
- Only happens once a year
Bet On A White Christmas FAQs
❄️ How do I make a bet on a white Christmas?
The majority of the online betting sites that have betting odds for a White Christmas, will add them to the Specials section on their betting site. On most betting sites that offer novelty betting, just click on the A to Z sports list and scroll down to the specials and place your bet.
🎄 Are there any bonuses available on white Christmas betting sites?
You can sign up with the top UK novelty betting sites and use your free bet bonus on the White Christmas specials betting market. It might not technically be a sport, but it will be part of the sports betting section. Follow the sign up steps and use your bonuses on the White Christmas market.
❓ When do online bookmakers pay out on the white christmas betting market?
Bookmakers will pay out on whether it is a White Christmas or not when just a single snowflake falls inside the 24 hours on Christmas Day (December 25) at one of the major UK airports.
