As I’m sure you’ve heard the UK is predicted it’s first “Arctic blast” this weekend with a significant plunge in temperature expected later on Friday continuing into the weekend. The weather will be characterized by much colder than average temperatures, widespread overnight frosts (inland) and a rash of showers for coastal areas.
Saturday
A cold and frosty start for in land areas with temperatures close to if not below freezing – a good deal of crisp sunshine to, but a strong and chilling northerly wind. Showers will affect the north east coast, especially from Norfolk and Lincolnshire northwards, and affect west Wales and Cornwall. Some of these will be heavy and prolonged and could produce some wet snow early on Saturday, especially to any high ground, but should turn back to rain or hail later in the day as temperatures lift slightly. A slightly different picture for Scotland and Northern Ireland where temperatures will be a couple of degrees lower, so expect showers to be more widespread and wintry, for much of Northern Ireland and Northern Scotland, with significant accumulations possible above 300m, with slushy deposits possible between 150 and 300m early on Saturday. A cold day for all with a significant wind chill.
Sunday
A cold start in the west with a frost in places however increased cloud amounts further east resulting in slightly higher temperatures of 3-4C to start with some rain for eastern coastal counties. Rain to for eastern Scotland with some snowfall above 400 metres. Another windy day but, on the whole, not quite as cold as Saturday, however on the east coast it will still feel cold due to the lack of sunshine.
Snow Risk.
More in-depth on the snow risk this weekend then – it does look like most of the significant snowfall will be restricted to the high ground of northern Scotland and Northern Ireland, above 250m in Northern Scotland and above 300m for Northern Ireland, however the “snow line” (minimum altitude where snow could fall) may drop slightly early on Saturday morning by around 100 metres, allowing some wet flakes to fall to lower levels. Further south any snowfall will be more restricted to hills and mountains given that the air is not as cold down here.
Long Range : Into Halloween and November.
Current indications suggest the weather will remain chilly to start next week albeit not the very cold Arctic air this weekend. Temperatures around or slightly below average with less of a frost risk and more in the way of rain showers or longer spells of rain. Significant uncertainty towards the bonfire period; some weather models are favoring high pressure to set up over the UK delivering something a little drier, however chilly and potentially frosty as we head closer towards bonfire night.