UK weather maps show regions expected to see heavy snowfall as cold and wintry spell on the way

14 November 2024, 22:49

Snow is expected to blanket parts of Britain as Arctic air and strong gales swoop in across the country.

Some area of the UK are forecasted to experience snow, with icy temperatures likely to merge with a northerly airflow, potentially covering the country in a layer of snow.

Temperatures have recently plummeted nationwide, with some areas in Scotland dropping well below freezing.

This means there’s a strong likelihood of snow in northern England as early as this weekend, which could potentially lead to travel disruptions.

The icy weather is set to build over the next two weeks, starting November 16, with snow hitting Scotland and northern England before the end of the month, forecaster WXChart warned.

'Potential hazard'

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Rebekah Hicks explains: “A notable early winter cold spell will arrive across the north from Sunday and will likely reach all parts of the UK by midweek.  

“Temperatures will drop as a northerly airflow develops, bringing in colder Arctic air.

"This introduces the possibility of snow, initially over high ground in the north from Sunday, with gusty winds also a potential hazard.”

She added: “There is a lot of uncertainty in what might happen after Sunday, but there are a number of scenarios which could bring some more widespread rain, along with some hill snow and stronger winds.

"It is possible that there may be some more widespread snowfall across lower ground, but the chance of this for any given region is low at this stage.

"What we do know is that the whole of the UK is likely to experience a spell of several days of cold, potentially disruptive weather next week.  

“Warnings for wintry hazards, including snow and ice, are possible, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast.”

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Tom Morgan, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "The really cold air is likely to arrive next week and there will be some snow in parts of the UK.

"There'll be a messy mixture of rain, sleet and snow.

"And also quite windy conditions, probably on Monday, in parts of the UK, but all areas will turn cold with wintry showers probably by Wednesday.

"If you've got travel plans next week, it's worth making sure your car is all geared up for winter conditions."

Mr Morgan added: "It is fairly unusual in the south. It's quite early in the month for a cold spell such as this.

"We often have rapid changes in the weather in the UK, the main reason for the big change next week is a sudden change in the orientation of the jet stream.

"At this point, anywhere in the UK has a chance of seeing snow and ice and frost by night, particularly from mid-week onwards."

So far this November, temperatures in the UK have been above average in general, as parts of the North West were hit with thick fog on Thursday.

Pictures showed Blackpool Tower covered in fog with only the tip of the 158-metre building poking out above a blanket of mist.

Mr Morgan said: "Usually at this time of year, fog is slow to clear because we have very short days and the sun's at its weakest point.

"So there's not much heating of the ground and it's the heating that usually disperses the fog, so we've seen some areas not really improve.

"The main reason (for the fog) is high pressure, light winds, a temperature inversion and stagnation of the air allowing that fog to form overnight and not clear in the day."

According to the Met Office website, a temperature inversion is a phenomenon in which it gets hotter the higher up in the atmosphere one goes.