Chesterfield weather: Will the town have a white Christmas this year?

Snowy scenes have become synonmous with Christmas thanks to the likes of Charles Dickens and Bing Crosby, but in the UK the chances of waking up to a Christmas card picturesque scene of thick snow are very slim.

But what does the Met Office predict for Christmas in Chesterfield this year?

According to the forecast, a band of rain will approach from the west on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, becoming more persistent overnight and possibly turning wintry in parts towards dawn.

Sadly Christmas Day looks to be a wet one, with light rain for much of the day which will turn heavy from around 9pm.

The rain is forecast to continue through Boxing Day before clearing as we head into the evening.

There is a chance of better weather on Monday, the forecast reads.

How does the Met Office define a white Christmas?

To officially declare a white Christmas, traditionally all that was required was a single snowflake to fall in just one location – the Met Office operations centre in London.

Now, all that is needed to declare a white Christmas is the observation of a single snowflake falling in the 24 hours of December 25 in a number of locations across the UK, including Buckingham Palace and Coronation Street in Manchester.

When was the last white Christmas?

The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was in 2010, according to the Met Office.

They said: “It was extremely unusual, as not only was there snow on the ground at 83 per cent of stations (the highest amount ever recorded) but snow or sleet also fell at 19 per cent of stations.

“We also had a white Christmas in 2009, when 13 per cent of stations recorded snow or sleet falling, and 57 per cent reported snow lying on the ground.

“Technically, 2020 was the last white Christmas in the UK, with 6 per cent of weather stations recording snow falling. However, only 4 per cent of stations reported any snow lying on the ground.”