The Met Office has identified 20 areas across the UK that could see snow on Monday morning, with precipitation rates reaching up to 4mm per hour in some places.
Forecast maps tracking snowfall, hail, and rainfall intensity up to five days ahead show several parts of Scotland facing potentially wintry conditions. Snow is set to hit parts of Wales, Scotland, and England, with North Yorkshire and Derbyshire among the highlighted areas.
Met Office Forecast for Sunday to Tuesday
The Met Office's outlook for Sunday to Tuesday currently reads: "On Sunday, rain and hill snow sweep the northern UK, elsewhere a mix of showers and strong winds. On Monday and Tuesday, a bright start then rain and hill snow."
The areas with potential snow on Monday include Highland, Na h-Eileanan Siar, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Angus, Glasgow City, Dumfries and Galloway, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, North Yorkshire, County Durham, Northumberland, East Riding of Yorkshire, Powys, Flintshire, Lancashire, and Cumbria.
Polar Vortex Update and Colder Air
This comes as the UK's national meteorological service provided a polar vortex update on Wednesday. In a blog post shared to its website, the Met Office stated: "After a foggy start to November, the UK’s weather is beginning to change."
It added: "The widespread low cloud, mist and dense fog of recent days will gradually give way to clearer skies, colder Arctic air and an increasing risk of frost and ice. But despite recent changes high above the North Pole, this colder spell is not being caused by the polar vortex."
The Met Office explained that colder and clearer conditions are making their way to the UK, noting that high pressure remains influential but its position is changing. As it builds to the west and northwest of the UK, winds will increasingly arrive from the north, drawing in colder Arctic maritime air.
Cold-Health Alert Issued
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the first cold-health alert of the winter season. A yellow cold-health alert has been issued for the North West and West Midlands regions, running from 9am on Thursday, November 12 until 12pm on Saturday, November 14.
The Met Office noted that this colder air is drier than the relatively mild and moist air responsible for the recent fog, making widespread dense fog less likely, although some mist or isolated fog patches remain possible. Frost will become a more widespread feature, with a risk of icy surfaces where showers occur, and wintry showers are possible around northern and eastern coasts, while some snow may fall over the higher ground of Scotland.
