A rather cold weekend is ahead of us – temperatures will be below average. Temperatures will be particularly cold at night (of course) with lows between -2 and -4C in rural areas, so watch out for ice. There will also be some wintry showers around, especially across higher parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England and perhaps the highlands of Wales.
Whilst most other areas will remain snow-free, it’s increasingly likely that an area of “wintry precipitation” will spread from Ireland during Saturday afternoon, reaching Wales and Central parts of England by late evening. This may fall as sleet/snow on higher ground, particularly through parts of Wales, the North Midlands and parts of Northern England. Some 2-5cm (1-2″) of snow is likely on higher ground, and some may even fall to lower levels at times.
Some lower level areas may even see some snow, however uncertainty is high. It may fall as rain/sleet to lower levels. Nonetheless, the area that is most at risk from this rain/snow mix has been identified in the map below. If you live on high ground within the risk areas identified, you have a good chance of snow. Within the area and to lower levels (below 250 metres, roughly, of elevation), your risk is about 50/50 at best. Elsewhere (i.e. outside of the yellow areas), you’re probably going to be snow-free, away from the hills of Scotland, where here you can expect some snow showers throughout this weekend.
So a chilly old weekend ahead, and it’s likely that next week will start off on the cold size. However, snow will most likely be restricted to hilly areas. Later in the week, a slow climb in temperatures reflective of an Atlantic air source is expected.