Oldham may be in with a chance of snowfall this Christmas, forecasters have predicted.

While a detailed description of the weather over the festive period is yet to be announced, the Met Office reported that "northerly winds" are expected to bring "some snowfall and ice, especially for the north".

In its official long forecast for Thursday December 21 to Saturday December 30, the Met Office said: "At the start of this period, a milder and more mobile Atlantic pattern is expected to quickly become established, bringing rainfall, especially for the north and northwest.

"In addition, a period of strong, potentially disruptive, winds is likely for at least central and northern parts of the country.

"Into the Christmas period, there is an increased chance of a colder interlude with northerly winds bringing some snowfall and ice, especially for the north."

It added: "However, this colder interlude could be very short-lived, and may not reach the far south before a milder Atlantic westerly flow potentially becomes re-established.

"A mobile Atlantic pattern becomes more probable towards New Year's Eve, with the majority of cloud and rain likely across the west, and drier and brighter conditions more probable in the east."

How likely is a white Christmas?

The Met Office can accurately forecast if snow is likely on Christmas Day up to five days beforehand.

Since 1960, around half of the years have seen at least five percent of the network record snow falling on Christmas Day.

However, widespread snow lying on the ground on Christmas Day is much rarer. There has only been a widespread covering of snow on the ground, (where more than 40 percent of stations in the UK reported snow on the ground at 9am, four times since 1960 — in 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010.

When was the last white Christmas?

Technically, 2022 was the last white Christmas in the UK with nine percent of stations recording snow falling, although none reported any snow lying on the ground.

Before that, 2021 and 2020 were also white Christmases, with six percent of weather stations recording snow falling in both years, but less than one percent of stations reported any snow lying on the ground in 2021 and only four percent in 2020.

There was no record of snow falling at any station in the UK in 2018, or in 2019.

The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was in 2010, when there was snow on the ground at 83 percent of stations, the highest amount ever recorded, but snow or sleet also fell at 19 percent of stations.

We also had a white Christmas in 2009, when 13 percent of stations recorded snow or sleet falling, and 57 percent reported snow lying on the ground.