A yellow warning has been issued by the UK Met Office for the weekend, meaning that people across England and Wales, as well as some parts of Scotland, could be in for two to three days of snow and icy conditions. The snowfall will likely lead to travel disruption, closed schools, and possible power cuts. Rural communities are also at risk of being cut off from wider areas. While much of the UK was just lashed by strong winds and heavy rain, which caused flooding across the north-west of England last week, temperatures are now set to plunge across the country.
The snow warning, which begins from noon on Saturday until 09:00 GMT on Monday, covers all regions of England apart from the South West, the majority of Wales and parts of southern Scotland. The Met Office has warned that about 5cm of snow is expected across the Midlands, Wales and northern England, with as much as 20-30cm over high ground in Wales and the Pennines. Some drifting may also be possible due to strong winds.
Northern Ireland and Scotland may also see disruptive snow. In southern England, any snow is likely to turn back to rain as milder air temporarily arrives, weather experts report. Temperatures are expected to begin falling overnight on Wednesday, with parts of the country warned to expect icy conditions on Thursday morning, and some snow is also expected in Scotland. It will feel increasingly bitter as the Arctic air reaches all areas of the UK by Thursday, with a mix of sunny spells and wintry showers, paving the way for widespread snowfall across the weekend.
Ben Rich, BBC Weather lead presenter has said that it is notoriously hard to forecast snow, and the warning may be modified closer to the time as confidence in the data behind the forecast grows. “With just a small change in temperature or the track of the low-pressure system, an area could get rain or sleet instead of snow,” he said. This comes after many people saw their New Year’s celebrations accompanied by heavy rain and extensive flooding, including in Greater Manchester, where a major incident was declared on New Year’s Day
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