Recently, we had snowfall and every year we dream of having a white Christmas in the Netherlands. So, what about this year? Is there a chance we will have one? Will the Dutch weather turn frosty and snowy for us?
A white Christmas is something we dream about each year. However, the last time there was a white Christmas in the Netherlands was in 2010. It’s actually not that common to have one in the Netherlands... sorry all snow lovers. According to Marc de Jong from Buienradar (a weather app), the chance of having one this year is small.
So, sorry to burst your bubble, but you ought to forget about that white Christmas you were dreaming of. In the last 100 years in the Netherlands, we’ve only had a white Christmas eight times! And for half of these times, the snow didn’t even stick around for both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
It’s probably going to be a wet Christmas. I know, it’s not ideal, but it has to do with the geographical location of the country. “The Netherlands is located by the sea and the direction of the wind is often westerly. As a result, we often have mild and wet winters”, says De Jong. Additionally, global warming is reducing the possibility of a white Christmas even more, not to mention the fact that it is also depriving the Netherlands of the famous 11-cities ice-skating race.
Of course, we’re talking about the Netherlands as a whole, as the country officially has a white Christmas when there is a layer of snow in De Bilt. However, in some places, the possibility of a white Christmas is greater. Limburg, for example, is geographically higher up, making the chance of snow greater.
It’s not yet possible to predict specifically what the weather is going to be like this Christmas. So, if it’s ok with you, we are still going to hold onto hope that we’ll have a snowy one. After all, small things can have a big impact on the weather.