As winter's grip tightens and dreams of a white Christmas begin to surface across the nation, the Met Office has delivered a dose of reality for those hoping for widespread snowfall this weekend.
A Wet and Windy Weekend Outlook
Instead of a blanket of snow, the UK is set to experience a period of unsettled weather. Heavy rain is expected to push eastwards across parts of England and Wales on Saturday, bringing with it spells of strong wind. The forecaster indicated that a developing area of low pressure is responsible for this wet and windy spell, which may also bring a bit of hill snow to the South Pennines.
While the south braces for rain, the picture is different further north. Scotland is likely to see some sleet and snow, particularly over higher ground. Northern Ireland, however, can expect a brighter day on Saturday.
Drier and Chillier Sunday Ahead
The weather is forecast to improve for most on Sunday, with the Met Office predicting conditions that will be drier, brighter, but also chillier. This respite is expected to be short-lived, as more unsettled weather is anticipated to arrive just in time for the start of Advent.
There remains some uncertainty in the forecast. A Met Office spokesperson told The Independent: "There is still a bit of uncertainty as to the exact track and how deep that low pressure is going to get." They explained that if the system stays shallower and tracks further south, the south will see wetter weather with a lower chance of anything wintry. A more northerly track, however, increases the risk of sleet or snow over modestly higher ground in northern England and southern Scotland.
Prospects for a White Christmas
With snow on the mind, many are already wondering about the possibility of a white Christmas this year. The Met Office has stated that it is too early to speculate, with forecasters typically only gaining a clear picture in the week leading up to the 25th of December.
The official threshold for a white Christmas in the UK is remarkably low: a single snowflake must be observed falling on Christmas Day anywhere in the country. According to the Met Office, more than half of all Christmas Days since 1960 have met this criterion. However, the chances of snow actually settling on the ground are far slimmer, having occurred only four times in recent decades: in 1981, 1995, 2009, and 2010.
This weekend's forecast follows a notably wintry period last week, which saw up to 25cm of snowfall in some regions and prompted an amber weather warning.
