Bookies predict a white Christmas in Leeds

Keith Melrose, Betting Editor of Racing Post, has made the prediction based on the snowfall at Leeds Bradford Airport.

Mr Melrose said: "Most bookies define a 'White Christmas' as a single snowflake at a specific location on Christmas day. So there is no need to see six-inch snowdrifts in order to collect your winnings.

"The old definition, that snow had to fall on the Met Office building in London, is also outmoded. You can now bet on cities from Dublin to Norwich, Bristol to Aberdeen. As you might imagine, the odds vary according to location and snow is deemed most likely in Scotland, least likely in the south.

“There are other factors to consider: height, and distance from the coast. Anyone who spent their childhood in a coastal city like Edinburgh or Aberdeen knows they miss out on snow days more often than might be expected. With prices varying from 5-2 to 12-1, these little factors can make a big difference to the value you are getting.”

“Most bookies settle bets based on snow at a city's airport, and one of the highest of those is Leeds Bradford Airport at more than 200m above sea level.

"Leeds Bradford also has the advantage of being both inland and not too far south.

"It is, unsurprisingly, the major English airport that is most frequently forced to close due to snow and ice."

According to weather site AccuWeather, the evening of December 14 is the earliest snow is forecast for the city.

The forecasters believe the temperature in Leeds will fall to below freezing in the early evening, with a chance of snow and sleet.

The full forecast for the evening states: "Mostly cloudy with a touch of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain late."

Leeds City Council gritters are on standby for any snowfall, with 24 vehicles ready to go.

On the council website it states: "From October to March we aim to keep the most important roads and some major pedestrian areas in Leeds safe and as free as possible from wintry hazards.

"The salt spreading routes include all the main roads, most other busy roads, most bus routes as well as access to hospitals and emergency services. These are always salted when ice or snow is forecast and get priority attention during prolonged wintry weather.

"Once we have treated these roads then we will begin to treat other roads. We aim to salt footpaths and paved areas if there is snow or frost over a longer period.

"When snow is about 25mm or 1 inch it is deep enough to plough."

On December 19, snow is also set to fall during the day as temperatures decrease towards Christmas Day.

-> When will it snow in Leeds? - This is the first day in December when forecasters are predicting the weather for the city