This week: staying cold with more snow

Last week saw the most prolonged spell of cold weather we’ve seen in recent winters, with arctic air spreading across the UK.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern parts of England have generally seen the greatest amounts of snow, with as much as 20-25cm over the hills and mountains.

Despite the snow and ice being well forecast, there was the usual array of winter weather-related disruption, with road, rail and airline networks subject to delays and cancellations.

This week will see the cold weather continue, with further snow in places – although from midweek onwards, high pressure will build from the west, leading to a drier theme for many.

Monday and Tuesday

During Monday and Tuesday, persistent snow is most likely across Scotland and Northern Ireland, with a band of snow drifting southwards on Monday night.

This will give as much as 5cm of snow at low levels, with 5-10cm possible over the hills and mountains – for which the Met Office has issued a yellow “be aware” warning.

Intermittent snow, in the form of showers, will fall across the far west of Wales and eastern parts of England, which could give as much as 5cm over the hills, with a 1-2cm in places at low levels.

Elsewhere, there is likely to be a lot of dry and bright weather, although it will be very cold, with temperatures peaking at just 1-4C for many.

At night, temperatures in towns and cities will widely fall to around -3C, giving a widespread risk of ice, with -10C possible over the snow fields of rural Scotland.

Midweek onwards

From Wednesday onwards, the trend will be for any snow showers to transfer to eastern parts of Scotland and England.

As always, the hit and miss nature of showers means that snow accumulations will be variable.

Nevertheless, low levels could see as much as 1-3cm, with 5-10cm possible across the hills, such as the North York Moors and Lincolnshire Wolds.

If the snow falls overnight and first thing in the morning, there is a chance that London could see a light covering too – especially in the higher parts of the city in zone 3 and beyond, such as Highgate, Harrow on the Hill and Crystal Palace.

Any sign of milder weather?                                         

Looking further ahead, there are signs that the weather will turn less cold next weekend, although by no means mild.

This less cold weather could be temporary though, because there are signs that colder air may return during the early part of next week.

As ever with snow in the UK, there can always be a few surprises, so keep a close eye on the forecast this week. I’ll also be posting regular updates on Twitter – @liamdutton