Generally the outlook for snow across Germany is pretty bleak, says the German Weather Service (DWD).

“Once again we’ll have a windy and rainy festive period in Germany. Those who are most likely to have snow are those in the high lands in the east and southeast of the country,” Sebastian Schappert from the DWD told Die Welt.

Sunday evening saw snowfall in southern Germany, including Munich. But the start of the week is set to be rainy across much of the country, with temperatures lying between two and seven degrees Celsius.

Most of the north of the country is set to be coated in fog all the way through to Thursday, with the south more likely to see a bit of sunshine. But by Friday the skies should clear across the country.

Source: DWD

White Christmases are something of a rarity in Germany. In 2015 temperatures rose up into the double digits in much of the country – in fact this August saw colder weather than Christmas day.

Meteorologists only speak of a white Christmas when on two of the three holiday days at least one centimetre of snow is lying on the ground.

Historically speaking, in west and southwest Germany there is a roughly ten percent chance of people enjoying a white Christmas.

In the hilly regions in northern Bavaria, Thuringia and Saxony there is roughly a 30 percent chance of yuletide snow, While the Alpine regions, unsurprisingly, most often experience that Bing Crosby moment.