Does it snow in England?

Does it snow in England, United Kingdom? Yes, it does snow in England. In this post, we will cover when and where it snows in England and what’s the weather in general in winter in England.

Weather conditions

England has a very temperate climate which means the summers are warm with some rain, while winter can be very cold. However, not all of the country experiences snow each year.

There are many English cities and villages where you can enjoy a picture-perfect winter wonderland, with lots of snow-dusted houses and streets.

On the other hand, snow is rare in London, although when temperatures are cold enough you may be lucky enough to witness this unusual occurrence in the capital.

Read on to find out more about where it snows in England and the best places to experience it.

Does it snow in England?

Yes, it does snow in England! In fact, England gets very cold in the winter months. England has distinct areas where you will find snow, so if you’re looking for a winter holiday it may be best to avoid London.

However, the north of England always sees lots of snow each winter. At the very top of the country, there can be up to half a meter of snow in December or January.

Whether it snows in England changes year to year.

Often if you visit England between November and February you may not see any snow at all, and there will instead be lots of cold rain and fog.

However, in 2022 London had a thin layer of snow just before Christmas and the North and South-West of England also experienced heavy snowfall.

Where does it snow in England?

The best place to see snow in England is in the North, such as in Newcastle, Manchester, or beyond, and often the Midlands, in cities such as Nottingham, Leeds and Birmingham may also get snow.

You are much more likely to see snow in smaller towns and villages, as the snow rarely settles in huge cities.

In the south of England, including Kent and London, there is rarely heavy snow, although in the South-West such as in Cornwall and Devon, there are regularly thick layers of snow, even by the seaside.

One of the most picturesque areas to visit in the snow is the Cotswolds, which contains many cute English villages with historic houses, and is one of the most beautiful areas of the country to see in winter.

When Does it snow in England?

December and January are the two months of the year when it is most likely to snow in England.

Although winter in England lasts from November until March, it is very rare to see snow in November, February, or March as the temperature is slightly too warm.

During December, it almost always snows in the North of England, and the first snow usually falls towards the end of the month, as temperatures drop below freezing. If you are lucky enough to see snow in London, it will also most likely be in the middle or end of December, which means you may even see a white Christmas!

During the rest of the year, it is far too warm for snow to fall anywhere in the country, particularly in major cities where the many houses and offices mean the snow quickly melts away.

How much does it snow in England?

How much it snows in England depends on where you travel in the country. In the south of England, there is not much snow, you may see a few centimeters in southern cities such as Canterbury, Brighton, or Southampton.

Southern towns and villages in Kent and Devon might see more, with a few inches of snow being quite normal in these areas, while London might have one day of snow per year (if you’re lucky), although it is only a few millimeters.

In the North of England, snow is very common. There is usually between a few inches to a few feet of snow, especially in remote areas.

In winter, it may continue snowing for a few days at a time, and in some remote areas such as the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District, the snow can go on for so long that people get stuck inside the house!

Best places for skiing in England 

Unfortunately, England does not have any ski resorts, unlike many places in Europe, since the country doesn’t have high mountains.

However, there are plenty of great indoor ski slopes, and outdoor dry slopes to practice on! Indoor skiing is especially great for those who are new to the sport, to get confident at skiing before traveling to somewhere snowier.

1. Chill Factore, Manchester

Chill Factore in Manchester is one of the best slopes in the country. Manchester is in the north of England so if you travel here in winter, you may even see snow outside as well, before jumping on your skis to practice.

The slope is one of the longest in the UK at 180 meters, and offers both ski and snowboarding lessons.

It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or an expert, plus it is located next to the Trafford Centre which is one of Manchester’s best shopping centres.

2. SnowDome, Tamworth

Slightly further south, just north of Birmingham is SnowDome in Tamworth. The slope here is 170 meters and is ideal for families or individuals trying to improve their skiing and snowboarding.

There are lots of professional instructors, plus you can visit other areas where there is ice skating, sledding, swimming, and more.

3. The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead

The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead is regularly voted the best indoor ski slope in England.

Its location just outside the capital means people who are only traveling to London can visit without traveling far and will get to practice their skiing on the 160m slope.

There is an onsite ski school that has instructors offering lessons for every level of skier or snowboarder.

England winter weather

The weather in England in winter is, unfortunately, like many other countries, quite wet and cold.

Although there is snow in certain areas of the country, between November and March you are more likely to experience rain, fog, and wind.

Sometimes it rains every day during the winter months, with the country getting an average of 5 inches of rainfall throughout winter, so you will definitely need to bring an umbrella and a waterproof jacket.

During winter in England, the average temperature is between 2 and 7 degrees, although when it’s windy it can feel far colder, and temperatures often drop below 0 even in big cities such as London.

Between December and February, there will often be ice or rain in the mornings, and the days are short and dark – on the shortest day, there may only be daylight between 9 am and 4 pm.

Does it snow in England? Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you know a bit more about where and when it snows in England, you may have some more questions to help you plan your trip, and you might be curious to learn more about snowfall in other destinations around the world.

In this section which will hopefully help answer your questions before you visit!

What months does it snow in England?

In England, winter lasts between December and February, and these are the months when it may snow. However, snowfall is much more common in December and January, especially in areas that rarely get snow such as the south, whereas the north may continue to have snow well into February.

Does London get snow?

Yes, London gets snow but only occasionally. London does not get snow every year, so if you want to see London in the snow you will need to check the weather forecast.

However, in the past few years, there have been much colder winters in England and London has one day of snow in December 2022.

Usually, however, the city does not see snow or only has a few millimeters which quickly melts.

This is mainly because there is a huge, dense city with many skyscrapers and houses, plus it is generally warmer than the rest of the country, so the snow is not able to settle.

Why does it rarely snow in England?

It rarely snows in England, except for the north, because England’s climate is temperate.

This means that, unlike other winter destinations such as Scandinavia, or high-altitude locations such as the Alps, temperatures rarely drop below 0.

Although the south of England often gets below freezing, it is only temporary, so it isn’t long enough for snow to fall.

However, the further north you travel in England, the more likely it is you’ll see snow as the climate cools.

If you continue to the very north of England and even into Scotland, you can find snowy mountains and frozen lakes in winter.

Which part of the UK gets snow?

The parts of the UK which get snow are usually areas in the north of the country. This means cities in England such as Manchester, Leeds, Middlesbrough, and Newcastle, as well as all of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Often the Midlands will also get heavy snow, in areas such as Nottingham, Birmingham, and Sheffield, although it may be less frequent than in the north.

In the south of England, including London and the South East, there is rarely snow, and if snow does begin to fall, it normally doesn’t last for many days.

Wales is an exception, as even though it borders the Midlands, it has many high mountains and national parks that get heavy snow.

Which is the coldest month in the UK?

December and January are the coldest months in the UK, with temperatures falling to below freezing.

In England, temperatures in December can be anywhere between 2 and 7 degrees, although often drop to below 0 during the night. In Scotland, this can be far lower with average daytime temperatures of 0.

However, in the Scottish Highlands, the lowest temperature ever recorded was -16.

These low temperatures also occur in December and January across the UK including Wales and Northern Ireland, although in northern areas the cold continues into February and sometimes even March!

Does it snow in Africa?

Africa is a huge continent, and although many people assume it must be desert and bush, it does get a little bit of snow.

Almost all of the country is extremely hot, so you will only find snow in very high places such as the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, or Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Does Hawaii get snow?

Hawaii is often thought of as the most postcard-perfect tropical island destination, with year-round sunshine.

This is quite accurate since Hawaii’s Island sees almost no snow during the year due to the warm climate.

However, there is snow on the highest mountains of Hawaii, such as on Maui and the Big Island, where some of the peaks get frequent snowstorms in winter.

Has it ever snowed in Florida?

Florida is known as the sunshine state so you won’t be surprised to learn that Florida almost never gets snow.

The southern American state is the home of beaches and hot weather, however back in 1977 there was a rare occurrence where it snowed in the southeast, even on Miami Beach!

Generally, however, you will never see snow in Florida and it is very close to other hot destinations such as the Caribbean and Cuba, all of which are too hot for any snow to fall.

Well, except for Jamaica where, believe it or not, it has snowed in the blue mountains.

Does it ever snow in Mexico?

Mexico is another country where people generally go for a beach holiday, in places such as Tulum and Cabo.

This is because Mexico has some great beaches and year-round hot weather. You may not know that in the north of the country, snow is quite common and Mexico actually has a number of mountains that are very cold in winter.

Some of the country’s mountains and volcanoes can experience more than 10 inches of snow in the coldest months!

The rest of Mexico does not often get snow and has quite a humid climate, since the further south you go, the closer it is to the equator.

Does it snow in England? Final thoughts

I hope this post was helpful. Now you know that it does snow in England but if you are looking for a winter vacation in a sky resort you may want to check out some other places, such as Italy where you can find amazing sky resorts in the Alps.