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Snow during Easter might not be as celebrated in song as a white Christmas, but its occurrence is surprisingly comparable. While white Christmases are often thought to be more common, the likelihood of snow at Easter isn’t drastically different. This is somewhat complicated by the fact that Easter’s date changes annually, unlike the fixed date of December 25th. To compare snow occurrences on these two holidays, historical weather data from varying dates must be examined. Additionally, the Met Office does not track white Easters with the same routine scrutiny as white Christmases — where even a single snowflake falling at a weather station within 24 hours of Christmas Day qualifies.
Easter’s timing makes its snowfall comparison tricky. The holiday takes place on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, placing it anywhere between March 22 and April 25. Since 1960, Easter has landed in March only 23% of the time. Over the past three decades, data from the Met Office shows there were 19 white Christmases but just 7 white Easter Sundays. Interestingly, when looking at the average number of snow days in a month, March experiences more snowfall days, averaging 4.2 days compared to December’s 3.9 days. However, most Easters occur in April when the average snowfall days drop to just 2.3.
Taking these figures into account, white Easters tend to be as frequent as white Christmases when Easter falls in March. Snow that lands during a March Easter is also more likely to settle, as ground temperatures below the surface layer are colder compared to December. Spring is known for dramatic swings in weather conditions: while days grow longer and sunlight strengthens, the arrival of cold air from the north can quickly bring wintry weather back. Even when Easter is in April, snow can still fall, especially in Scotland’s higher altitudes, where spring snow is not uncommon.
Looking at past records, the snowiest Easter in the UK occurred in 1983, between April 1 and 4, when several regions including parts of Scotland, the Midlands, and southeast England faced snow, disrupting travel. When it comes to lying snow on the ground during Easter, the deepest recorded was 36 cm (14 inches) in 2010 at Strathdearn, Inverness-shire. The coldest Easter Sunday on record was in 2014, with temperatures dropping to -12.5°C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire. For the upcoming Easter, as Storm Dave moves eastwards early on the day, colder air will shift over the country. Snow showers are predicted over the higher regions of Scotland, with possible snow flurries reaching lower levels in northern areas during the morning. Snowflakes may also be spotted on hills in northern England and north Wales early in the day before milder air moves in
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