snow

Even though the outdoor events are at a sufficiently high altitude, organisers of the Milan-Cortina Games are stockpiling artificial snow, just in case.

The last time the UK saw a widespread white Christmas was back in 2010, when snow fell at 19% of weather stations, and very unusually, 83% of stations reported snow lying on the ground.

California receives the vast bulk of its rain and snow between December and March, trapping the runoff in its reservoirs to mete out during the hot, dry seasons that follow.

Craig said: "She faced snow, ice, a blizzard at the summit and a long descent in the dark - but she never once gave up."

Air and ground frosts have fallen by around 25% since the 1980s, and snow days are becoming increasingly rare across the UK.