December weather forecast from Sean Batty: Rain, snow or storms?

The first door on the Advent calendar has been opened, Christmas trees are popping up across the country, and lights are twinkling in windows.

It’s around now that we start dreaming of snow-covered post boxes and the joy of sledging at Christmastime.

But let’s be honest — the reality is usually lashings of rain and the odd storm that batters our outdoor decorations.

So what does this December have in store? Can we start dreaming of a white Christmas, or should we brace ourselves for gales and the possibility of Storm Bram?

How long will mild and soggy weather continue?

A few weeks ago, it looked like the weather might settle down as we moved into December, perhaps even turning colder. That was the Met Office thinking too. But, as ever, long-range trends can shift as we get closer — and that’s exactly what has happened.

We’re starting December on a mild and rather soggy note, and unfortunately, that theme looks set to continue.

While the computer models aren’t flagging any major storms over the next couple of weeks, we can still expect spells of wet and windy weather.

Temperatures don’t look extreme either way, but they’ll generally sit a few degrees above average, with most areas staying above freezing at night and avoiding frost.

Looking a little further ahead — and remembering that models only give trends at this stage — there is a slight dip in temperatures as we approach mid-December.

A few models even hint at something more significant, but these are far outweighed by the majority keeping things on the milder side.

So it seems we’re in for a wet month, particularly in the west, with bouts of stronger winds and limited chances of cold or snowy weather. The best we might manage is the odd brief window of chillier air bringing hill snow to the north.

If this conveyor belt of low-pressure systems keeps rolling through, we could be heading for a fairly “normal” Christmas — breezy, damp, and decidedly un-snowy. But it’s still too early for firm details.

We’ll need to give it a couple more weeks before the Christmas forecast sharpens up.