Is It Going To Snow This Month?

We’re always dreaming of a white Christmas, but what about a white November? The Met Office has revealed some new data for the month ahead, teasing a blanket of snow may well be on the way. Here’s where and when the snowflakes will fall first in November 2024.

Will It Snow In The UK In November 2024?

Last week, the Met Office revealed ‘the weather could (briefly) turn much colder/brighter, with a chance of snow showers in northern and eastern areas’. The news follows an incredibly mild autumn so far, so the national weather office followed this up with a quick disclaimer: ‘but it’s equally possible these could stay clear of the UK, or the milder conditions could remain in place’.

‘Either way going forward it’s likely to stay mainly settled, with an increasing chance of more unsettled weather developing later in this period,’ the Met Office added. This was a long-range forecast covering 30 October to 8 November, but towards the second half of November, ‘unsettled conditions’ will close in, with ‘an increased risk of wet and windy weather for parts of the UK, perhaps more so in the south.’

So snow is possible this month – if a little unlikely. If it does fall in the UK, it will be in the far north and eastern areas of the UK, especially on high ground, which is normal for this time of year. Likewise, temperatures are expected to be ‘close to average overall’ with ‘some colder interludes’, while thick cloud cover is expected to blanket the nation for most of the month.

Has It Ever Snowed In November In The UK?

Snowfall in November is uncommon, but not impossible – and it has certainly happened before. Typically, November sees sprinklings of snow across places like the Cairngorms and the Pennines, but more widespread snowfall is usually due to unusual ‘Arctic blasts’ bringing cold air directly from the north (the Arctic) or northeast (Scandinavia).

The most recent example of this was the winter of 2010 leading into 2011, with extreme lows commencing in November and continuing into the new year. This year saw our coldest December on record, with the earliest widespread snowfall since 1993, falling as early as 24 November. Scotland and northern England were most affected, with up to 76 cm of snow recorded on 1 December across the Peak District, Sheffield and Doncaster as well as the Cotswold Hills and the Forest of Dean further south.

Which Month Has The Most Snow In The UK?

January, February and even March are the months with the most snow on average in the UK, beating out our dreams of a white Christmas. In fact, the Met Office has reported a widespread covering of snow on Christmas day only four times in the last 51 years. That said, it has snowed somewhere in the UK every Christmas for all but 11 of the last 60 years – so it will most likely be a white Christmas for someone in the UK.

What Is The Snowiest Place In The UK?

The Cairngorm Chairlift weather station in Scotland has recorded the most snow, with snow falling on a whopping 76 days of the year (based on 1981–2010 averages). Of the UK nations, Scotland is generally the snowiest, with an average of 38 snow (or sleet) days every year.