Weather maps have turned blue and purple as swathes of heavy snowfall are set to cover areas of England and Scotland next week.
On Thursday, December 19, up to 5cm of snowfall will cover the ground in Newcastle and surrounding areas, as well as northern Scotland.
Flurries of white powder and rain showers will continue throughout the day as a 566-mile wall of wintry weather will descend on the country, pushing from eastern Europe.
Accompanying the Arctic blast, a wind chill bringing temperatures of -4C is forecast as maps from WXCHARTS turn an icy shade of blue.
Stretching from Wick in Scotland down to Plymouth in Devon, the blast will place most areas of the country into a subzero freeze at 6pm on December 19.
Later into the day, snowfall will continue in Lancashire and Yorkshire, where up to 3cm of snow depth can be expected. Aberdeen and Inverness will also see white stuff settled on the ground as 1cm is expected at 9pm.
The majority of southern England, Wales and Northern Ireland will remain dry on Thursday as rainfall throughout the early morning will clear up in the afternoon.
The weather forecaster for England and Wales, the Met Office, predicts a brighter yet showery Thursday for the rest of the country. High winds can be expected across the nation as colder temperatures sweep across the UK in the lead up to Christmas.
The wall of wintry weather will continue later into the month as a band of showery rain will move southeastwards across this period. According to the Met Office, the wettest and windiest conditions will remain largely in the north, with spells of heavy rain at times as low-pressure systems pass by.
Further towards the south of England, whilst some unsettled weather is likely at times, it will be drier overall with a greater influence of high pressure.
Snow will continue to fall across high ground, although the flurries could temporarily cover lower levels in the north during any colder interludes.
