The current cold spell is expected to end on Christmas Eve. However, there is likely to be lying snow well after this date, as it progressively thaws, and thus there is likely to be lying snow on Christmas Day.

For Christmas Day itself we are expecting a large amount of cloud with a few bright spells developing at times. There is a low risk (20%) of rain arriving later in the day. It will be quite breezy, with temperatures expected to peak around 3°C. Current thinking suggests that there is a 30% chance of snow falling on Christmas Day. Although it is possible, it is unlikely to be a White Christmas this year based on current data.

Updated: 13:53 Sun 12, 00:27 Thu 16, 22:23 Fri 17 Dec 2010