A giant wall of snow looks set to fall over a large swathe of Britain, with some 13 counties hit, weather maps show.
Charts generated today (Saturday, February 1) show snow stretching from the coast of western Scotland almost all the way to the country’s east coast overnight on Wednesday (February 5).
Maps by WX Charts, which uses MetDesk data, show snow affecting the Highlands, Argyll & Bute, Stirling, Perth and Kinross, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Angus, West Dunbartonshire and East Dunbartonshire. Parts of the city of Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire and Scottish Borders could also see snowfall, according to WX Charts.
While those areas look set for snow, it doesn’t look to be very deep on the ground, with some 1cm appearing on WX Charts’ maps for midnight on Wednesday.
A second map generated by WX Charts today shows up to 2cm of snow falling per hour over western Scotland, with a thick band of snow in the Highlands at 3am on Wednesday.
Wednesday looks set to be a chilly day too, with the mercury plunging to -3C in parts of the Highlands and 0C for much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the North of England, according to WX Charts.
Temperatures further south will struggle to rise above freezing, with just 1C in Southampton, London and Birmingham. Plymouth looks set to see the highest temperature – just 2C – along with parts of East Anglia.
While WX Charts’ maps show snow, the Met Office’s five-day weather forecast (February 1-5) makes no mention of it. The forecaster does expect chilly nights from Monday (February 3) to Wednesday.
Netweather said it looks like it will turn drier and colder through early February due to high-pressure building to the northeast.
Nick Finnis, Netweather’s senior forecaster, said temperatures will likely fall below average, with chilly days and the potential for frosty nights where skies are clear.
Mr Finnis added a slowing frontal system arriving across the UK from the west could bring some snow in places if the air is cold enough.
Met Office UK five day weather forecast
Saturday, February 1 – Wednesday, February 5
Headline: Rain moves into the northwest tonight, drier elsewhere.
A weakening band of cloud and rain will move in from the northwest overnight tonight. It will remain largely dry across England and Wales with clear skies developing in the southeast, with a “patchy frost” forming.
On Sunday, the Met Office expects rain to ease in the northwest during the morning. It will be mostly dry across the south and east with sunny spells. It will turn brighter across Northern Ireland and western Scotland as well.
The outlook for Monday to Wednesday is for further wind and rain in the northwest on Monday. It will be fine elsewhere.
The rain spreads southeast on Tuesday, but eases through the day. It will turn dry and more settled from Wednesday. Nights will be chilly, according to the Met Office.