Snow could hit 21 counties of England in days as a white barrage hits the British Isles, new weather maps suggest.
Forecast data collected by wxcharts.com shows large swathes of England seeing the flakes fall on Thursday, February 20 at 6am.
Almost half of England’s 48 ceremonial counties are appear set for snowy conditions, with major cities including Manchester, Birmingham, and areas around Newcastle affected, maps suggest.
Meanwhile large parts of England’s southwest, including Plymouth, could could be spared the conditions, though parts of the south-east including London are forecast for rain.
Much of Scotland could also see snow, including areas around Edinburgh, and multiple counties across the north, centre and south of the country.
The whole of Northern Ireland could also have snowfall or snow on the ground at this time, while much of Wales is also expected to have fallen snow over large stretches, though southern areas including the capital Cardiff may avoid it, the forecast indictates.
The full list of English counties that are forecasted for snow are:
Essex
Suffolk
Norfolk
Cambridgeshire
Nottinghamshire
Leicestershire
Warwickshire
Worcestershire
Staffordshire
Shropshire
Herefordshire
Cheshire
Derbyshire
Yorkshire
Lincolnshire
Greater Manchester
Merseyside
Lancashire
Cumbria
Durham
Northumberland
The Met Office’s current long-range forecast (covering Sunday February 16 to Tuesday, February 25), says south or southeasterly winds are likely at the beginning the period, “and will maintain below average temperatures and often cloudy conditions”.
“There is a chance of even colder conditions developing temporarily, which would see more wintry showers, especially in northeastern areas,” it adds.
At the same time, frontal zones, which will bring milder conditions and rain, “will attempt to move in from the west or southwest”.
“Early in this period these look likely to have limited influence over the UK,” the government agency says, though the far south west may already be seeing milder conditions at that point.
“If, or when, they push further northeastwards the chance of some snow increases,” it continues.
“The transition between colder and milder conditions remains uncertain, but towards the end of this period, the milder, wetter conditions are likely to have spread across much of the country.”
You can find the latest Met Office forecasts, alerts and warnings here.
