Here's Where It's Predicted To Snow This Weekend As Met Issues Five Warnings

Okay, so we missed out on a white Christmas, but the Met Office says we might have a snowy early January to make up for it. 

But the weather may be so intense in certain parts of the UK that the Met has issued three yellow warnings and two amber warnings over the coming days. 

An amber cold weather alert is also in place for all regions of England from 12pm yesterday (Thursday 2 January) ’til 12 pm Wednesday (8 January).

Temperatures have fallen to -7.9C in Benson, Oxfordshire, already, and the UKHSA have issued health warnings to protect older people against the chill.

But where will snow over the weekend, and what does a yellow or amber warning mean?

Where will it snow? 

BBC Weather expects “20-40cm of snow could fall across northern England and southern Scotland from late Saturday into Monday.” This is likely to cause “significant disruption.” 

Still, Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “At the moment we’ve issued a very large snow warning for Saturday until Monday but it doesn’t mean that everywhere within that warning could see snow, it’s just a heads-up there could be some impacts.”

Per the Met Office, today (Friday Jan 3), there’s a yellow ice warning in parts of north-west England, the East midlands, Scotland, parts of Wales, and parts of Northern Ireland. This will last from 4 pm today until 10 am Saturday. 

Tomorrow midday (Saturday 4 Jan) will see the yellow ice warning remain, but another snow and ice warning will extend to most of the rest of Britain too. 

From 6 pm tomorrow (Saturday 4) until midday Sunday 5, there will be an amber snow and ice warning over the east Midlands, London and southeast England, northwest England, southwest England, Wales, the west Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humber.

A separate amber snow warning is in place for the east Midlands, northeast England, north-west England, west Midlands, and Yorkshire and Humber from 9 pm Saturday 4 until midnight Sunday 5.

From midnight Sunday on, there will be yellow warnings for snow over most of Scotland and the north of England. This will run until midday, Monday 6.

“It’s definitely going to start off as snow in many places, but it’s a question of how quickly that snow melts and turns back to rain. It’s more likely that the snow won’t last that long in southern England,” meteorologist Tom Morgan said.

“It’s quite likely the warning will be updated quite frequently between now and the weekend. Certainly if you’ve got travel plans on Sunday, and perhaps Monday, stay tuned into the forecast.”

What do yellow and amber weather warning mean?

The Met Office said of the yellow warnings: “There is a small chance power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected. There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off.”

They added, “There is a chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel.”

In areas with amber warnings, the Met says to expect: 

• Some rural communities cut off
• Power cuts and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, affected
• Delays and cancellations to rail and air travel is expected
• Travel delays on roads, stranding some vehicles and passengers.

The Met advises planning any journeys carefully and adjusting them if needed. We should also prep for power cuts if applicable.

“Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area,” they continue.