UK weather: White Christmas unlikely for most but some flakes of snow are possible

Snow forecasting in the UK is quite difficult.

It will partly depend on exactly how cold the air is moving through the UK, but the other necessary ingredient is precipitation, i.e. something falling from the sky.

It currently looks like most places will be dry on Christmas Day, which will be welcome in areas such as Cumbria and South Wales that have seen heavy rainfall recently.

However, several computer weather models indicate that light wet weather will pass across the Channel Islands and is likely to move towards the far south of England.

If this happens it could mean some sleet or snow mixed in, especially in higher elevations.

It is also possible that the thick cloud descending towards the east of Scotland will produce a few light snowflakes over the hills and mountains.

So the chances of a white Christmas are low – but not zero – and you can follow any changes to the forecast on the BBC Weather website and app.