The UK is set for a severe bout of wintry weather, with the Met Office forecasting significant snow accumulations of up to 25 centimetres (nearly 10 inches) in some regions by Thursday night. This cold snap has prompted multiple weather warnings for snow and ice across the country, with experts warning of potentially treacherous travel conditions.
Widespread Warnings and Expected Accumulations
An amber warning for snow is in effect for parts of Northeast England and Yorkshire and Humber, where the most severe conditions are anticipated. The Met Office states that within this amber zone, accumulations could reach a depth of 25cm by the end of Thursday. Other areas, including parts of northern and eastern Scotland, the Midlands, and the Northwest of England, are under yellow warnings for snow and ice, where lesser but still disruptive amounts of 2-5cm are possible.
Neil Armstrong, the Met Office's Chief Forecaster, provided further detail: "Whilst not all places will see lying snow, where showers are most frequent accumulations of 2-5cm will be possible. On higher ground in Scotland 15-20cm could accumulate and potentially as much as 15-25cm over the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds."
Travel Disruption and Public Advice
The forecasted weather is expected to cause considerable travel delays on roads, with a risk of stranded vehicles and passengers. There is also a potential for power cuts in some communities. The Met Office has emphasised that the wintry conditions "could create some particularly tricky travel conditions," especially as overnight temperatures are predicted to plummet, leading to widespread ice on untreated surfaces.
In response, National Highways has activated its winter operations. Darren Clark, a Severe Weather Resilience Adviser, said: "With snow forecast and freezing conditions across parts of England this week, National Highways winter operation is in full swing with gritters already completing their first runs of the season." He urged drivers to prepare their vehicles by topping up fuel and screenwash, checking lights and tyres, and planning their journeys ahead of time.
A Prolonged Cold Spell
This period of cold weather is set to continue through Wednesday and Thursday. Wintry showers are expected to feed inland from the North Sea, and temperatures will remain well below average for November. Thursday night could see temperatures drop as low as -11°C in rural parts of Scotland, with daytime temperatures struggling to get much above freezing for many.
The snow and ice warnings cover a broad sweep of the UK. Separate alerts are in place for Darlington, Newcastle, Hull, parts of Southwest England, south Wales, and much of Scotland. The most intense period of snowfall for many areas is expected during Thursday afternoon.
