The UK is set to experience its next significant snowfall following the blizzards that swept across the country on Monday and Tuesday. WX Charts show extensive areas of white, signaling snow, forecasted for Wednesday, January 14.
This upcoming snow event is expected to be substantial, stretching approximately 349 miles from the Scottish Highlands down to Yorkshire by midnight. Areas from the Midlands, including Birmingham, to the North West are predicted to be directly impacted.
By midnight on Thursday, January 15, temperatures will plunge, with lows reaching -5°C in Scotland and around -3°C in Cumbria. Other counties under threat include Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire.
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The Met Office forecast starting January 9 provides further insight: “A changeable weather pattern is expected, with Atlantic frontal systems intermittently affecting the UK. These systems will likely bring periods of rain, often preceded by snow, particularly in central, northern, and eastern regions.”
They add that some locations, especially northern hills, may see significant snowfall. These low-pressure systems could also generate strong winds.
Between these spells of unstable weather, quieter and drier phases are expected as transient high-pressure ridges move through, creating frost conditions and wintry showers along coasts exposed to northerly winds.
As the month progresses, temperatures should gravitate towards seasonal averages, especially in southern regions, possibly reducing the frequency of wintry hazards there.
Looking into late January and early February, uncertainty remains high in the weather outlook. While no single weather pattern is predicted to dominate, a broadly westerly regime is considered most likely. This implies changeable conditions with alternating spells of wet, windy, and mild weather, interspersed with colder, drier periods featuring overnight frost and fog.
There is some indication that this transition period may begin largely dry and cold. Snow and ice will remain possible, particularly in central and northern parts of the UK, but the overall likelihood is generally expected to be lower than earlier in January.