The UK is set for a spell of severe winter weather this weekend, as new weather maps reveal a rare meteorological phenomenon hitting parts of northern England.
The Met Office has issued a Yellow National Severe Weather Warning for snow and ice, in effect from 6 AM to 2 PM on Saturday, covering northern England, as well as a cold weather alert for parts of the northeast, Yorkshire, and the Humber.
One of the most significant weather anomalies expected is a rare bout of freezing rain near Manchester, depicted as an orange region on WXCHARTS weather maps.
Freezing rain occurs when rain falls into a layer of sub-zero air near the ground, freezing on contact with surfaces.
Netweather maps also show parts of northern England dropping to 0C on Saturday morning.
This can create treacherous icy conditions, posing a serious hazard for travel and infrastructure.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert highlighted the risks: “Some freezing rain could affect higher parts of the Pennines for a time, leading to icy conditions.”
High pressure to the north and east of the UK continues to dominate weather patterns, bringing extensive cloud cover and cold air across the region.
This setup is expected to allow incoming weather fronts from the west to bring snow to higher elevations in Scotland and northern England.
According to the Met Office forecast, as rain moves further east on Saturday, it will encounter colder air, increasing the likelihood of snow.
The Cheviots and North York Moors could see accumulations of 2 to 5 cm, with potential for localised snowfall even at lower elevations.
Snowfall may also extend beyond the warning area, though accumulations are likely to remain light in these regions.
Weather fronts moving in from the west will struggle to make significant progress through Friday due to the blocking influence of high pressure.
However, parts of southwestern England and southern Wales may experience heavier rain before the main system moves eastward on Saturday.
While temperatures remain cold, the long-term forecast suggests that wintry conditions could persist into early next week.
With high pressure remaining dominant, further snow showers are possible, particularly in northern regions.
However, as the weather pattern evolves, more settled conditions could return later in the week.
