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Snowy landscapes and a white Christmas transform some European cities, such as Riga, into winter paradises. Picture: FF-Photo / Shutterstock

The chances of a white Christmas are greatest in these cities

A white Christmas is the epitome of festive magic for many people—but in most European cities, the dream of snow remains unfulfilled. A new study shows where the chances of a snowy holiday are particularly high and which capital cities are considered true winter paradises.

For many, Christmas feels incomplete without a snow-covered backdrop. The enchantment of snowy landscapes, the crunch of snow beneath your feet, and the sparkle of ice crystals create a truly magical holiday atmosphere.

However, while a snowy Christmas is rare in much of Europe, there are certain cities where the dream of a white Christmas frequently comes true.

In a comprehensive study, analysts at the Haypp Group have examined Europe's capital cities to determine where the winter dream of a white Christmas is most likely to come true. The study recorded the days with snow in December from 2000 to 2021, analysed the average depth of snow for the same period and calculated the probability of snow on 25 December.

Here's how Europe's capitals rank in terms of snowfall

While a white Christmas is often just a dream in Switzerland, people in Riga are truly spoilt in this respect. In 59 per cent of cases, it is white in the Latvian capital on 25 December. It scores 9.2 out of 10 on the «white Christmas scale» and tops the European ranking. With 332 snowy days in December between 2000 and 2021, Riga perfectly embodies the charm of a winter Christmas fairytale.

The Finnish capital Helsinki and Vilnius in Lithuania follow close behind. Both cities are also top contenders for snowy Christmases. The Estonian capital Tallinn just misses out on the podium, with a 55 per cent chance of snow.

In Tallinn, snow provides a magical festive atmosphere on 55 per cent of Christmas days. Image: Lobachad / Shutterstock

Among the top five are Bulgaria's capital Sofia and the Norwegian capital Oslo, both of which delight snow enthusiasts at Christmas. Oslo stands out with an impressive 346 snowy days in December over the past two decades.

It is followed by the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík, the Swedish capital, Stockholm, and Chişinău in Moldova. Romania's capital, Bucharest, rounds off the top ten, but is far behind the Christmas paradises of Northern Europe.

The Swiss capital, Bern, is far behind in 22nd place in the ranking – with 223 December snow days in the last two decades and a snow probability of only 18 per cent on 25 December.

According to the study, anyone who wants to be sure of experiencing Christmas without snow has numerous options. Among other places, Rome, Malta's capital Valletta, Nicosia on Cyprus and Lisbon have not had a single day of snow in December in the last two decades.

(TN)

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