Yes, we know it’s only mid-September. But if you’ve already started mentally planning for the festive season, you’ll want to hear this: Manchester has a one-in-four chance of a White Christmas in 2026.
Manchester has a 25% chance of seeing snow on Christmas Day this year
New early odds from betting site OLBG put the city (along with Liverpool) at 3/1 for snow on 25 December – an implied 25% probability based on long-term weather patterns rather than a proper forecast.
It’s not exactly a Met Office warning, but it’s enough to give us all a tiny, very premature glimmer of hope that this year’s Christmas might actually look properly wintery for once.
Before anyone starts digging out sledges from the loft, a quick reality check: we’re still months away from December, and these odds are more fun festive betting than anything else.
North West cities given one-in-four chance of a White Christmas
That said, the North West is looking relatively promising compared with much of the south, even if Scotland still steals the show with Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow all more likely to see snow on the day.
Jake Ashton, betting expert at OLBG, sums it up neatly: “After a Summer of heatwaves, many of us are now looking forward to colder weather, roaring fires, cosy jumpers, and a white Christmas would be the cherry on top of a magical winter.”
For Mancunians who’ve spent the last few summers sweating through heatwaves and wondering where autumn went, that sounds about right.
So while it’s definitely too early to cancel any “green Christmas” plans, the early numbers suggest Manchester isn’t completely out of the running for a proper festive flurry and that’s worth clinging to as we trudge through the rest of the year.
