A fresh Arctic blast is set to sweep across Britain next week, with forecasters warning that a 200-mile band of snow could bring disruptive conditions to large parts of England and Wales.
The prospect of further wintry weather arrives as the UK endures a period of bitter cold, with temperatures plummeting to -6.4C in parts of Cumbria and Brecon earlier this week. While Sunday (November 15) is expected to offer a brief respite of milder Atlantic air and rain, meteorologists warn that harsher Arctic conditions will swiftly return.
Snow band timing and spread
Weather models suggest that a northward-tracking band of rain will clash with the colder air late on Monday, raising the likelihood of widespread snowfall across a broad stretch of the country, The Mirror reports.
Met Office charts show snow spreading across northern Wales and England from around midnight into the early hours of Tuesday, before pushing north-eastwards through the night. By approximately 3am, the snow band is predicted to reach from southern Scotland, south of Glasgow, through northern England and as far south as Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
Certain areas could receive in excess of 5cm of snowfall, while higher ground in central Scotland may see accumulations of up to 15cm.
Forecaster outlook
BBC weather forecaster Helen Willetts says: "We can see that northerly wind coming back in later in the day pushing those weather fronts out of the way by the start of Monday and we are back into that sparkling Arctic air."
"So even at lower levels in the north we could see some snow showers and they will certainly be gathering in force across the northern part of Scotland."
"Tuesday looks quite an interesting day as we've got this next weather system running to the south of the UK, as it comes and bumps into the cold air we could have a spell of snow."
"It is a long way off at the moment but we will firm up, don't take this as read because it could be a little bit further north or south but wherever that weather front grinds to a halt we could see a spell of snow primarily on the hills but not necessarily exclusively - we could see something at lower levels as well."
She also added: "We are staying in the colder air for much of next week". Meanwhile, a forecast from the Met Office states: "Into next week, unsettled and cold conditions remain with rain, sleet and (mainly hill) snow key features."
Affected areas
Its outlook for Monday to Wednesday reads: "Colder, but sunnier on Monday. Wintry showers in the far north, with rain, and hill snow moving north across the UK into Tuesday. Brighter, but colder again for most midweek."
Areas facing a wall of snow on Tuesday include Wales (Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham, Powys) and England (Merseyside, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Durham, Newcastle, Northumberland).
Areas of Scotland also facing snow include Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, and Argyll and Bute.
