The Met Office has addressed the question on everyone’s mind this week: will it snow in the UK?
Forecasts by the weather experts have already suggested wintry showers and snow could fall in parts of the UK as soon as today, with weather maps by the Met Office also predicting snow on Sunday.
But now the Met Office has gone in depth, setting out exactly how likely the white stuff is to fall across the country in the coming days.
For anyone hoping for an early blanket of blizzards, the forecaster says that for most of the country, it’s frost rather than snow which will define the weather conditions. But for more northerly areas, snow is looking likely.
It said: “Snow is already featuring in the UK forecast as colder Arctic air spreads south, but for most places the coming days will be characterised by frost rather than significant snowfall.
“While widespread snow to low levels is not in the current forecast, parts of Scotland could see snow over higher ground, with further wintry showers possible across the far north through the weekend.”
It adds: “Cold air has moved south across the UK, with a brisk northerly wind making it feel particularly chilly.”
It named three areas most likely to be getting snow this weekend, adding: “Northern Scotland has the greatest chance of seeing snow, with wintry showers affecting northern and eastern Scotland and the Northern Isles.
“Snow is most likely above a few hundred metres, although temporary accumulations could occur as low as 200-300 metres. Around 2-5 cm could accumulate above 400 metres. Across the far north and northeast, showers will be frequent and blustery at times.
“There is also the potential for thunderstorms and small hail across the Northern Isles and exposed parts of northern and northeastern Scotland this morning. Snow will principally affect higher ground, rather than bringing widespread disruption at lower levels. With cold air remaining in place, the risk of snow continues across parts of northern Scotland through the weekend.”
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The weather experts said that snow falls when cold air meets moisture.
It added: “A northerly airflow can bring colder Arctic air towards the UK, while easterly winds can draw cold continental air from Europe. If that cold air encounters moisture, either from a weather front or showers developing over the sea, precipitation has a greater chance of falling as snow.”
It comes after forecasts suggest a weakening polar vortex could bring snow and cold conditions to the UK later this month. This current bout of cold weather is not related to the polar vortex phenomenon, a clutch of Arctic air which is swirling around the North Pole and could be pushed towards the UK. However, forecasts from the Met Office have cautioned that an early cold snap could come by the end of November if the stratospheric warming continues to weaken the vortex, spilling cold air across the UK.