After such a gloomy year, wouldn't it be lovely if we had a white Christmas?

Snow during the Christmas period has become pretty uncommon in the UK due to a succession of milder winters. In fact, the last time we had a white Christmas was in 2010.

However, this doesn't stop us from asking the question and dreaming of seeing our beautiful city covered in a blanket of snow - especially after what has been an extremely challenging year for many of us.

Officials at The Weather Company say this winter will be colder than average due to -10C Arctic influxes bringing snow, ice and travel disruption in the run-up to Christmas. 

Met Office records show that if the average temperature is just 0.2C below normal, at 3.5C or lower, it'll be the coldest winter since 2012-13. 

With Christmas still being a few weeks away, it's too early to say whether we will actually see any snow on December 25 and on the Met Office website it's impossible to look that far ahead.

However, there are other ways to check the likelihood of a snowy forecast on Christmas Day.

Forecasting website metcheck.com allows you to access weather forecasts for the next six months. It also shows when it is most likely to snow based on climatalogical data stretching back to 1860.

According to the site, on Christmas Day and Boxing Day chances of snow falling in Salisbury are about 35 per cent.

The likelihood increases as we move towards New Year's Eve and into January, with January 15 seeing chances rise to 50 per cent.

That day is also when heaviest snowfall usually occurs, according to the site.

This year, bookmakers have slashed the odds on snow falling on Christmas Day in the UK amid reports of a colder winter.

Ladbrokes now make it just 5/4 for a white Christmas, having been 6/4 earlier this month, with Edinburgh and Newcastle the most likely cities to see snow at 3/1.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: "It's looking likely we'll be waking up to the white stuff on Christmas Day as temperatures continue to tumble to snowfall territory."

Ladbrokes say the latest bets show the odds of snow falling on December 25 in the UK are 5/4.