37 English Counties Brace for Snow Amid Polar Vortex Threat

According to the latest WX Charts using Met Desk data, 37 counties across England are bracing for significant snowfall this January. On Thursday, January 8, a vast sheet of snow is forecast to blanket much of mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.

Snowfall is expected to peak around 6 a.m. but will persist throughout the day in most affected areas. Counties such as Bedfordshire, Devon, Herefordshire, and Northamptonshire are predicted to experience the heaviest snow accumulations. Additional counties including Surrey, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Northumberland, Bristol, Durham, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, and Buckinghamshire will also see notable snow coverage.

Lighter snow dustings are anticipated in Oxfordshire, West Midlands, Cambridgeshire, Lancashire, Rutland, Cheshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Cornwall, and Merseyside. Other regions at risk include Worcestershire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Norfolk, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Hampshire, and Suffolk.

While WX Charts highlight a polar vortex influence, the Met Office has not officially confirmed this phenomenon. Instead, they forecast cold northerly winds dominating the UK from the first week of January. These winds will bring wintry showers, often snow, especially along exposed coastlines and nearby inland areas.

Weather conditions will vary as wind directions shift subtly between northeast and northwest, altering which areas experience showers. Central and southern inland locations are expected to remain mainly dry but cold. The Met Office also predicts periods of more continuous rain, sleet, or snow moving southward, possibly leading to prolonged wintry precipitation in some inland regions. Milder conditions may begin to arrive from the west toward the latter part of this period.

Residents across these counties are advised to prepare for winter weather and stay updated with forecasts as the situation develops.