The Met Office has issued its verdict on whether the UK could see snow this winter, as a polar vortex looms. According to the national weather forecaster, "significant snowfall" will still occasionally batter the country.
It said: "A warm, sunny summer can be followed by one dominated by cloud and rain, while a mild winter does not rule out periods of snow and ice... Snowy weather has not disappeared, but substantial snow events and the average number of days with falling snow have declined. Cold spells can still happen, although they are occurring against a warmer climatic backdrop."
Seasons Not Vanishing Overnight
The Met Office added: "The familiar characteristics of the UK’s seasons are not vanishing overnight. Grey summer days, cool spells, winter frosts and occasional significant snowfall will remain part of the country’s weather."
This comes amid warnings from experts that a significant El Niño event could cause temperatures to rise at the Pacific Ocean's surface and affect global weather patterns. Flooding, drought, and colder, stormier weather could all plague the UK.
Polar Vortex and the Jet Stream
Experts say it could also destabilise the polar vortex - a stream of colder winds that normally stay in a polar region but could extend further towards the equator early next year.
The Met Office explained: "The stratospheric sudden warming can sometimes cause the jet stream to ‘snake’ more, and this tends to create a large area of blocking high pressure." If this happens, it can shift prevailing winds from mild westerlies to colder northerly or northeasterly airflows, raising the risk of winter frost, snow, and cold snaps in the UK and Europe.
Beast from the East Pattern
This pattern increases the likelihood of severe frosts, heavy snowstorms, and deep freezes, similar to those seen during the "Beast from the East" in 2018. Alternatively, a buckled jet stream can push low-pressure systems away from the UK, leading to unusually dry, settled, and cold conditions.
Tim Stockdale, principal scientist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), told The Standard: "We’re seeing weather system stress like we’ve never seen before."
