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Leeds Live
Leeds Live
National
Sebastian McCormick

Why it's not snowing in Leeds even though it's snowed in Sheffield explained by weather experts

Leeds has seen days of sub-zero temperatures and snow has fallen across Yorkshire including Sheffield and North Yorkshire, but no snow has yet hit Leeds.

While many may be glad for the lack of disruption when compared with others in Yorkshire, some may still be hoping for a White Christmas. There are a number of reasons for the lack of snow.

According to the Met Office, snow requires two primary factors. These are simple, moisture and cold temperatures.

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Cold air is not too common in the UK as we need it to come from the north or the east as these bring the air from either the arctic or a cold sea. High pressure can also provide cold air.

However, the most common wind in the UK is south-westerly, which means the conditions for snow aren't too common in areas like Leeds. The south-westerly Atlantic wind typically brings rain instead.

With all this in mind, the temperature is cold in Leeds, temperatures well below 0C are predicted for parts of the city.

The other condition needed for snow is moisture. The cold eastern winds typically travel over dry land in mainland Europe, this means they often do not carry enough water for snow.

This means the cold air must meet with rain carrying air to convert it into snow or for the cold air to pick up moisture from the North Sea to generate its own snow. All these factors make snow pretty rare in most parts of the UK and Yorkshire.

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