Heavy snowfall expected this weekend – but will we have a White Christmas?

I’ll be perfectly honest. I’m the kind of person who loves hefty snowfall and bitter cold temperatures in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day. I also know that I want sunshine and rainbows the rest of the time.

Thanks to global warming, over the past few years I’ve become increasingly worried that snowfall will completely skip December and head straight to January.

Whimsical sleigh rides and bells jing-a-ling-a-linging and ring ting ting-a-ting-a-linging just wouldn’t be the same without some snow. In fact they wouldn’t even be possible.

What’s the first thing most of us do when we wake up on Christmas Day morning? Or maybe the second thing if we’re lucky?

We take a peek behind the curtains to see if it’s snowing. If it is, or if there’s a blanket of snow on the ground, it makes the big day complete. It’s the icing on the Christmas cake.

So what are the chances of us having a White Christmas in Manchester this year?

The bookies are already offering odds of around 7-2 on it snowing on Christmas Day in Manchester. But this is no more than a punt.

Because, according to the Met Office, the weather can only be accurately forecast five days beforehand.

So even though snow is forecast for higher ground in Greater Manchester this weekend, don’t assume it will snow over the Christmas period.

The only place in Manchester it’s guaranteed to snow on Christmas Day is on the telly.

But I’ve still got my fingers firmly crossed.

The last White Christmas was in 2010 but like everybody else I’m dreaming of snowfall not just this weekend but on Christmas Day. Enough to make snow angels, throw snowballs and all that other festive good stuff.

But if the records are anything to go by, I need to accept that it’s more likely to rain in Manchester on Christmas Day. And it probably will.