The Met Office has released their long-range forecast for December - including their verdict on the chances of a white Christmas.
Waking up to a picturesque Christmas morning with the world blanketed in a sparkling layer of snow is a dream for many. As we count down the days to December 25, plenty of Scots will want to know if their wish for a white Christmas will come true.
Fortunately, the Met Office has just released a long-range forecast that runs through to Christmas day. For the record, the forecaster dubs it a 'white Christmas' when one snowflake falls somewhere in the UK within the 24 hours of December 25.
The Met Office has said that their long-range prediction is 'low confidence' for the latter half of December, but are currently not expecting snow to fall during that period.
Their forecast starting on December 4 states: "On Sunday, rather cloudy for many with scattered showers, most frequent and heaviest in the east, possibly wintry over hills. Most sunny spells and drier weather will be seen in western areas, with easterly winds strong in places.
"Into next week, occasional showers will affect the UK, these heaviest and most frequent along eastern coastal areas, with a chance of longer spells of rain for southern UK at times. Showers may become wintry over higher ground, with a risk of sleet over lower levels at times."
"A continuation of these conditions is favoured towards the end of the period, with precipitation generally most likely in eastern and southern regions. Temperatures will likely be below average, especially in the south where easterly winds may make it feel even colder at times."
From December 14 until December 28, the Met Office stated that it is likely to be dryer and calmer than usual, but they are not yet expecting snowfall.
They said: "Confidence is low for this period, but overall settled and relatively dry weather is more likely than stormy weather.
"At this time of year frost and fog are common, and the chance of these, along with below-normal temperatures and spells of wintry precipitation, is slightly higher than usual. Conversely, heavy rain and strong winds are less likely than in a typical December."
While their prediction currently states that the Christmas period could be dry and calm, this could easily change.
Explaining why this is the case, the Met Office said: "When looking at forecasts beyond five days into the future the chaotic nature of the atmosphere starts to come into play - small events currently over the Atlantic can have potentially significant impacts on our weather in the UK in several days' time."
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