Which BearingPoint office will go white on Christmas Day?

22 December 2023 Consultancy.eu

BearingPoint is dreaming of a white Christmas – but most of its offices only have a marginal chance of snowfall this December 25th. A geo-spatial analysis from the firm suggests that its Helsinki and Oslo outposts are most likely to enjoy some of the white stuff during the holidays.

The association of snowfall with Christmas is possibly not as old as most people think. While a number of the traditions associated with the festival were carried over from pre-Christian and pagan winter solstice celebrations across Europe, snow being an archetypical element of the Holidays is thought to largely be down to the Victorian era.

In reality, though, snow at Christmas is according to historical weather records quite rare. And with the advance of climate change, and rising global temperatures, those odds may be becoming even more remote – even in places where snow is usually a festive fixture.

Historic probability of seeing snow on Christmas Day

On that cheery note, global consulting firm BearingPoint has sought to show which of its own offices are most historically likely to see snow this Christmas. Applying all the characteristic whimsy you would associate with the consulting industry, BearingPoint’s experts committed themselves to a geo-spatial analysis that took into account the historical averages of weather around December 25th throughout the years, and drew up a series of probabilities.

The conclusion? Perhaps unsurprisingly, facts point out that the firm’s colleagues in the Nordics are best placed to enjoy a white Christmas.

Calculations based on the last four decades of data showed that Helsinki has a 46.3% probability of seeing snow on Christmas Day, ahead of Oslo on 43.9%, and Stockholm on 34.2%. At the same time, colleagues in Lisbon, Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other warmer locales had a 0% probability of snow – making them more favourable destinations for professionals who prefer to avoid the cold.

Historic probability for BearingPoint locations seeing snow on Christmas Day

Mid-range probabilities ranged from 31.7% in Munich to 2.4% in London, Paris and Dublin – suggesting that there is some historic precedent to give snow-lovers something to hope for across the continent. However, BearingPoint hastened to add that none of this is a prediction – and that actual snowfall on December 25th varies significantly each year, influenced by an array of climatic factors.

With that in mind, the consulting firm cautioned that a white Christmas stands to become a more remote prospect each year. With the challenges of climate change impacting weather patterns like never before, the researchers noted that the world can expect “changes in temperatures, precipitation and climate zones” that mean past performance is no guarantee of future results when it comes to seasonal snow.

Offering up its own take on a Christmas speech, BearingPoint commented on its research via LinkedIn, “As we confront the global challenges of climate change, the world anticipates shifts in temperatures, precipitation, and climate zones. These transformations will impact the probability of snowfall on future December 25th. Beyond the joy of a white Christmas, let’s strive for sustainability, recognising that our actions today shape the Christmas of tomorrow.”

More on: BearingPoint
Europe
Company profile
BearingPoint is a Europe partner of Consultancy.org
Partnership information »
Partnership information

Consultancy.org works with three partnership levels: Local, Regional and Global.

BearingPoint is a Regional partner of Consultancy.org in Europe, Netherlands and United Kingdom.

Upgrade or more information? Get in touch with our team for details.