Weather guide

Christmas market winter weather checklist

Christmas markets put gazebos, marquees and sometimes rides on open ground in the coldest weeks of the year, often in the dark. This checklist gathers what council market policies and national guidance say for each kind of winter weather.

Before the season

Write down each structure's wind limit from its manual or certificate. Edenbridge Town Council notes that wind speed, direction and turbulence depend on the layout and height of surrounding buildings, so there is not one rule for all.
Agree who decides and by when. Bromsgrove District Council decides on reducing or cancelling its market by 4pm the day before for food traders and by 5am on the day for all other traders.
Plan staff for a quick take down. Bromsgrove sets three trained staff as the absolute minimum to put up and take down its market in high winds.
Keep a weather diary. Bromsgrove says it builds an informed picture of the conditions that disrupt the market, so a decision can be justified on historical evidence.
Check decorations and fixings. ADIPS notes extra danger from Christmas market structures and decorations that may become detached.

Sources: Edenbridge Town Council: Market Gazebos and Structures including in Adverse Weather Policy, adopted 3 March 2025; Bromsgrove District Council: Management of Markets in Severe Weather Policy (undated); ADIPS: Safety Bulletin SB 001-24: message to controllers about high winds, 29 November 2024

Wind

Edenbridge and Salisbury start their process when gusts over 26mph are forecast for any time in the next trading day, including setting up and taking down.
Neither council allows gazebos or structures to be put up in gusts of 41mph or greater.
Bromsgrove's own gazebos on its floor anchor system may only be used in wind speeds not exceeding 25mph.
St Albans asks for two interlocking weights per gazebo foot when gusts of 35mph or more are forecast.
Inflatables and rides keep their own limits. HSE says no inflatable should be used in winds above 24mph.

Sources: Edenbridge Town Council: Market Gazebos and Structures including in Adverse Weather Policy, adopted 3 March 2025; Salisbury City Council: Salisbury Charter Market Adverse Weather Policy, March 2023; Bromsgrove District Council: Management of Markets in Severe Weather Policy (undated); St Albans City and District Council: Using a gazebo at St Albans Market and at events; Health and Safety Executive: Inflatable play equipment guidance

Ice and frost

HSE says to grit when frost, ice or snow is forecast. The best times are early in the evening before the frost settles and early in the morning before employees arrive.
The Met Office says a ground frost can occur without an air frost, so a forecast near freezing is the prompt to check paths and ramps.
Edenbridge does not clear the market area with council staff, though groundstaff clear a safe access path. Its market officer may spread grit to open the market or keep it open.

Sources: Health and Safety Executive: Slips and trips: frequently asked questions; Met Office: What is frost and ice?; Edenbridge Town Council: Market Gazebos and Structures including in Adverse Weather Policy, adopted 3 March 2025

Snow

MUTA says very few fabric structures have snow load capacity. If snow is a possibility a fabric structure must be heated to a minimum of 12°C so snow does not build up on the roof.
Salisbury's market officer can cancel the market if the site is unsafe and can close it early in heavy snow after a dynamic risk assessment.

Sources: MUTA: Best Practice Guide 2026; Salisbury City Council: Salisbury Charter Market Adverse Weather Policy, March 2023

Fog and dark evenings

The Met Office calls visibility under 1,000 metres fog and under 100 metres dense fog, which it says can cause severe travel disruption. Winter markets open and close in the dark, so plan lighting and stewarding for arrivals and vehicle routes when fog is forecast.

Source: Met Office: What is fog?

Rain and flood

The Met Office classes rain above 4mm an hour as heavy. In England, GOV.UK says the official flood warnings cover rivers, the sea and groundwater but not surface water flooding. A riverside market site should sign up for them before the season.

Sources: Met Office: National Meteorological Library fact sheet 3: Water in the atmosphere (archived copy); GOV.UK: Get flood warnings by text, phone or email

Weather warnings

Bromsgrove cancels its market in its entirety under a Met Office red warning. It also says a severe weather warning in itself is not a reason to reduce or cancel the market. St Albans closes its market at a yellow warning where gusts are predicted to reach 35mph or above.

Sources: Bromsgrove District Council: Management of Markets in Severe Weather Policy (undated); St Albans City and District Council: Market Inclement Weather and Exceptional Circumstances Policy, adopted 21 June 2022

Download a market adverse weather policy template (Word), with the wind bands used by Edenbridge and Salisbury and the settings to match in Gustline.

How Gustline helps

A winter season pass covers every event on your account with dates from October to March. Each one gets wind alerts against your structure limits plus ice and frost, heavy rain, fog, snow and, in England, flood warnings in the same email and text.

Gustline checks the Met Office site-specific forecast for the point you pin on the map, every six hours from a week out and every hour in the final three days. It compares the forecast gust with the rated limit you enter for each structure and checks the weather alerts you leave on for the event. When a level changes it emails and texts the people you choose. Every alert is logged with a timestamp.

Gustline is an early warning for planning. It does not replace checks on site on the day, the official warnings or your event's own plans.

Plans start at £19 for one event. A season pass is £99 a season and a year pass is £179 a year. It covers the UK only.

Set up alerts for your next event

Check the next 7 days of gusts at your site against a market stall limit, free

The data behind this guide

Sources

Last updated 4 October 2026.

Wind limits for gazebos and market stalls
No national wind limit exists for gazebos and market stalls. What council market policies say, with the gust figures and weights they set.
Market adverse weather policies: what councils write
What council market adverse weather policies say about gust limits, Met Office warnings, decision times, staffing, pitch fees, snow and heat.
Ice and frost on event sites
Air frost, ground frost and black ice from Met Office definitions, with HSE advice on gritting walkways and where a forecast fits.
Snow on marquees and event sites
MUTA says very few fabric structures can take a snow load and that they should be heated to 12°C when snow is possible. HSE advice on gritting.
Fog at outdoor events
The Met Office defines fog as visibility under 1,000m and dense fog as under 100m. What that means for event sites and where a forecast helps.
Flood warnings near an event site
What an Environment Agency flood alert, flood warning and severe flood warning mean for an event in England, what they leave out and where to sign up.

Who Gustline is for

Wind alerts for council markets and winter events