One of the most popular talking points around this time of year is whether there will be snow on Christmas day or not. Brits love the idea of a white Christmas, but more often than not this is a fantasy that isn’t realised. Still, it is one of the most popular betting markets outside of sports betting, and there will be thousands of people staking on the event this year. Should Swindon residents think about betting on there being snowfall in the area on the nation’s favourite holiday?
Photo by Felix Mittermeier from Pexels
What do Bookies Class as a White Christmas?
According to Paddy Power, a white Christmas is when there is snowfall on Christmas day. This has to be recorded by the Met Office so that it is official. But bettors will be glad to know that there isn’t a specific measure of snow on the ground when it comes to the bet winning or losing. The latest odds on white Christmas place cold spots in Canada high on the list for snow on the big day. The favourite is Winnipeg, closely followed by Montreal and Ottawa.
How Many Times Has There Been Snowfall on Christmas?
A few hundred years ago, between the 16th and 19th Century, the UK was said to be in the midst of a mini ice age. Back in those times, a white Christmas was a likely event. Now, people look back at that period as a magical time, with snowy landscapes still a popular theme for Christmas cards.
According to reports, there have only been nine locations in the UK to have had snowfall regularly on Christmas day over the past hundred years. London has had ten white Christmases since 1900, Birmingham has had nine since 1940, and Bradford has had five since 1971. The last instance of a countrywide white Christmas was 2004, but there were still some spots in the southeast that missed out on snow that year.
Unfortunately, the lower likelihood of a white Christmas is down to climate change. In another hundred years, the Bing Crosby song, White Christmas, may have lost all of its meaning.
Worth a Punt?
Bettors would have to ask the bookies for specific odds on Swindon, but they can check out markets for nearby Bristol and London. The West Country city is 6/1 for snow on Christmas day at the time of writing, while the capital has odds of 4/1. These odds suggest that the chances of snowfall in Swindon are fairly slim this year. However, people who want to stake on the event could bet on other cities across the world instead.
The chances of a white Christmas in Swindon are slim this year, but that doesn’t mean that residents can’t stake on other locations in the country. The best place to bet on in the UK would be Lerwick in Scotland, where there have been a whopping 19 white Christmases since 1957. Indeed, this may be a good place for a holiday for those in search of cold temperatures at Christmas.
