WHAT are the odds of snow on Christmas Day?

At the moment reports are mixed regarding the chances of seeing the white stuff on December 25.

The Met Office has contradicted claims the UK is set to face the "coldest winter in 100 years".

Reports in The Express said the UK could see "some type of 100-year cold or snow records being breached this winter".

But weather experts at the Met Office have said their long-range predictions are completely different.

The weather forecaster said temperatures are likely to be above average for the time of year.

And the bookies aren't sure either.

The latest odds for snow in the north west currently stand at 5-1 for snow in Manchester on Christmas Day and 6-1 in Liverpool.

While the website 'Will I Get A White Christmas?' is raising hopes after listing towns in the north west with a 50 per cent of a white Christmas or at the very least 'light sleet'.

You can check their latest predictions by clicking here

A Met Office spokesman said: "At the the moment, the longest range we are looking at is January, but this is not a forecast, it's a probability.

"We're probably looking at milder than average conditions - so, not the coldest for 100 years, or a collapsed polar vortex."

Warrington Guardian:

According to the long range weather forecast there could be some wintry showers at times between December 8 and December 22.

However, a wet and rainy Christmas is looking far more likely than snowfall.

It said: "Widespread frosts and ice are also likely. There looks to be a change around mid-month to milder conditions, although the timing is very uncertain.

"This change looks likely to bring milder and wetter conditions across most parts of the UK, allowing temperatures to recover to around average, or perhaps slightly above.

"The wettest conditions are likely to be in the north and west, with an increased likelihood of drier spells in the south and southeast.

"Colder interludes are still possible."

There have only been four occasion in the UK in the last 51 years where more than 40 per cent of stations in the UK reported snow on the ground at 9am. 

After 40-50cm of snow fell in the Highlands and 70mph winds occurred on the Welsh Coast a few weeks ago, bookmakers started offering odds on snowfall in a number of cities across the UK.

Warrington Guardian:

A spokesman for William Hill said: "At this stage of the year, the odds always suggest that a White Christmas is a long shot."