SNOW has started to fall in York and across parts of North Yorkshire.

As temperatures drop this Christmas Eve and with highs of just 3C today and on Christmas Day, weather forecasters say a carpet of crisp white snow is unlikely.

The Met Office says we will get snow and sleet showers in York, but in parts of North Yorkshire, including Malton and Pickering, there has been a light dusting of snow on the ground today.

There is a yellow weather warning for ice on the roads tonight and in to Christmas Day so drivers are being asked to take things easy.

In general we are much are more likely to see snow between January and March, with snow or sleet falling an average 3.9 days in December, compared to 5.3 days in January, 5.6 days in February and 4.2 days in March.

That will come as cold comfort for people hoping for a bit of festive cheer as 2020 finally comes to an end.

The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK.

However, there has only been a 'proper' white Christmas four times since 1960 so the odds don't look good.

The last widespread white Christmas was in 2010 (although there were a few flurries in 2017 as well).