IT’S the question on everyone’s lips each Christmas: Will I wake up to snow on December 25?

A blanket of the white stuff is something that’s only occurred on the big day in the UK four times in the last 51, the last being in 2010 - although, technically 2015 counted as a White Christmas with as 10 per cent of UK weather stations recorded flakes falling during that 24-hour period.

Even the Arctic winds of 2018’s Beast from the East missed the yuletide window by a few months, turning the normally milder spring time climes of March into brass monkey conditions instead.

And now the Met Office have also cast doubt over the initial speculation that this winter will be one of the coldest in a century with the prediction that temperatures will, in fact, be milder than average, with wet and rainy fronts pushing in alongside any possible wintry showers.

Moreover, the Met’s long range forecast for between Monday December 23 and Monday January 6 warns of heavy rain in the south of Britain and any snow confined to hilly areas in the north.

However, the big bookies have now weighed into the debate, with William Hill saying there’s a 8/1 chance of it snowing in Brighton, while Bet365 offers a 7/1 chance of snow in Sussex and odds of 1/16 against that it won’t turn out all white on the night.

Although, website - willigetawhitechristmas.com - says there’s a 25 per cent chance of waking up to a winter wonderland in and around the county on the 25th.