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Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nWith temperatures set to climb into the low teens on 25 December, dreams of a white Christmas are melting away.<\/p>\n But why does the idea of snow on Christmas hold such a magical allure?<\/p>\n After all, true white Christmases are fairly rare.<\/p>\n In fact, the last widespread blanket of snow on Christmas Day in Northern Ireland was during the big freeze of 2010.<\/p>\n Temperatures that December fell to a record-breaking -18.7C in Castlederg, County Tyrone.<\/p>\n Yet, the longing persists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A new BBC Weather iPlayer documentary, Will it be a white Christmas?<\/a>, examines our fascination with the snowy ideal.<\/p>\n Featuring weather presenters Carol Kirkwood and Matt Taylor, it looks at how TV shows, movies, and even festive advertisements have shaped our longing for a picture-perfect winter wonderland.<\/p>\n Could changing the date of Christmas actually increase our odds of snow?<\/p>\n It is an interesting idea raised in the documentary.<\/p>\n A white Christmas only needs a single snowflake to be recorded at an official weather station on the big day.<\/p>\n Northern Ireland has seen just seven official white Christmases since 2000.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n However, while snowflakes on 25 December are a rare treat, they are not entirely out of the question.<\/p>\n In fact, it was just two years ago in 2022 that we had an official white Christmas when Lough Fea in County Tyrone recorded wintry weather at about 17:00 GMT.<\/p>\n Later that evening, Glenanne in County Armagh reported heavy sleet<\/a> at about 19:00, providing festive conditions for some lucky residents .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Snow forms when tiny ice crystals in clouds stick together to become snowflakes, according to the Met Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n If enough crystals stick together, they will become heavy enough to fall to the ground if the air remains cold enough as they descend.<\/p>\n To produce snow, the atmosphere needs both cold temperatures and enough moisture\u2014conditions that don’t always align in Northern Ireland’s winters.<\/p>\n It is a myth that temperatures need to fall below zero for it to snow, the Met Office adds.<\/p>\n “In fact, in this country, the heaviest snowfalls tend to occur when the air temperature is between zero and 2C,” it said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For the Met Office<\/a> to officially declare a “white Christmas,” a single snowflake must be observed falling during the 24 hours of 25 December. <\/p>\n This observation can be made by an official Met Office weather station.<\/p>\n This stringent verification process ensures consistency for climate records and certainty in reporting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The winter of 2010 stands out as one of the most extreme in Northern Ireland’s history.<\/p>\n Hillsborough in County Down holds the record for the deepest snow on Christmas Day, with 17cm blanketing the ground.<\/p>\nDreaming of a white Christmas<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nHow does snow form?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat makes a white Christmas?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Record breaking Christmas<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n