Households across the UK should brace for a chilly, wintry spell in early January as new weather models forecast snow and showers pushing across portions of England and Scotland.
Updated maps from WXCharts, using ECMWF HRES data via MetDesk, reveal snow beginning Sunday evening, January 4, and continuing into the early hours of Monday, January 5.
Initial precipitation at 6pm on Sunday covers much of the UK, with rain dominating southern and western regions. Meanwhile, snow is predicted over parts of northwest and west Scotland, as well as central and eastern areas.
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By 6am Monday, snowfall is expected to move southwards into northern England, affecting counties including Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria, West Yorkshire, and Cheshire.
The wintry conditions will start locally near Stoke-on-Trent at midnight, spreading northwards by early Monday morning. The snow is predicted to melt by noon, with drier conditions prevailing afterward.
While earlier forecasts suggested widespread snow, the latest projections indicate a more marginal and patchy event rather than a prolonged downfall.
Looking ahead, BBC Weather anticipates a colder-than-average start to January, though the duration of the chill remains uncertain. High pressure systems are forecast to shift toward Iceland, Greenland, or the eastern North Atlantic, promoting a north-east to north-west airflow that keeps conditions cold.
Even if high pressure centers nearer to the UK, temperatures are expected to stay below average, with occasional wintry showers in exposed northern locations.
The Met Office outlook from late December through early January highlights generally settled, mostly dry, and mildly cold weather. Some cloudiness and light rainfall are possible, but overall accumulations are expected to be small. Light winds and temperatures near or slightly below normal are anticipated. Although mostly stable conditions will continue into the first week of January, there remains a slight possibility of unsettled, wetter, and milder spells, particularly in northern areas.