
There’s nothing more festive than snow on Christmas morning, but it’s not something we see too often across the UK. White Christmas betting can add an extra bit of sparkle to the festive season, but where do you start?
In this guide, we’ll take you through a veritable blizzard of white Xmas betting info, including markets, the official definition of a white Christmas used by bookmakers, and things to look out for when placing your bet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The vast majority of betting sites offer white Christmas betting odds, so the first step in white Xmas 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.
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.
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.
The Met Office can more accurately predict weather five days in advance, meaning that odds will drop significantly at this point.
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!
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 Xmas betting is quicker and easier than buying a last-minute Xmas present at the corner shop. Read through our guide to find out about the official definition, white Christmas odds, and how to place your bet.
To find out which sites offer special bonuses, including any potential white Christmas bet bonuses, you can visit betting.co.uk to see our recommendations for the top white Christmas betting sites.
The odds of it being a snowy December 25th vary throughout the year. To find out more, have a read through our guide and learn how the odds of a white Christmas are assessed at white Christmas betting sites.
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