The UK is already under a cold air mass. Temperatures tonight are expected to be the lowest many have seen all winter, with lows of -10C possible rurally in Northern England. In the coming few days temperatures are expected to remain cold, in fact, are likely to become even colder into Thursday / Friday, so there is a continued risk of snow in places. However, the precipitation looks rather patchy, so not all areas will see this snow. Even within the main risk areas, which will be highlighted in this post, some areas will miss out on the snowfall risk altogether.
Thursday
Early on Thursday a band of light snowfall will affect Northern Ireland and southern Scotland, producing scattered accumulations with the potential for some travel issues over the hills. This will eventually clear this area into the afternoon, producing mostly clear weather with some scattered wintry showers around coasts. The front will head into Northern England, Wales and the Midlands overnight into Friday producing scattered accumulations of snow, even to lower levels in places.
Friday
An icy night into Friday with temperatures well below freezing in places. The day will be bright across Scotland and Northern Ireland with just a few wintry showers, however there is a continued risk of some snow showers across England & Wales. These will be relatively hit and miss, so not everywhere will see them. Northern England and the North Midlands are most at risk through the day, however some light snowfall is also possible in the south later on. Accumulations will largely be limited to 1-3cm, however there is a risk of up to 10cm over higher parts of the Pennines.
The following map from the WRF (GFS) weather model highlights potential snow accumulations by Friday. Please bear in mind this is not to be taken literally, it merely provides an idea of where the higher risk areas are.
