Met Office weather maps indicate that 20 UK counties, including Durham and Northumberland, could see snow next week. The forecasters had already warned of "hill snow" for Monday and Tuesday, but the latest data suggests the flurries may be more widespread than initially expected.
Where Snow Is Expected First
Wales is among the first regions likely to see snow at around 6pm on Monday, with rainy showers expected across most of southern and central England. The snow is anticipated to be most intense over hills in North Wales.
By around 9pm, the forecast indicates snow will have drifted over the north-east, reaching parts of Yorkshire as well as northern parts of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. By midnight, snow is shown as falling over most of North Wales and northern England.
Further Snow in Scotland
Scotland is also set to see snowfall and wintry conditions across the borders in the early hours of Tuesday morning, but most of the snow will have subsided by around 9am, according to the data.
More snow is expected before Monday, with the Met Office saying "some rain and hill snow" is on the cards in Scotland on Saturday. Conditions will be "largely fine and dry" elsewhere in England and Wales.
Sudden Stratospheric Warming
The warning comes as BBC Weather describes what it calls the "earliest major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) on record", with winds spiralling above the Arctic having changed from their typical westerly direction to easterly. The BBC explained that "these changes can slowly filter lower down in the atmosphere altering the position of the jet stream which drives what type of weather we experience on the ground".
SSW events could lead to chilly snaps in the UK and can also "boost the possibility of snow, especially across eastern parts of the UK". Previously, the earliest major SSW event on record happened on November 28 in both 1969 and 2025.
However, forecasters warn the chilly blast this week comes as a result of developments in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere, rather than the stratosphere.
Counties Facing Snow on Monday and Tuesday
The counties facing snow on Monday and Tuesday include, in England: Shropshire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland. In Wales: Caernarfonshire, Denbighshire, Merioneth, Montgomeryshire, Cardiganshire, Radnorshire and Flintshire. In Scotland: Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire.
