Met Office shares exact date snow will hit as mercury plunges after mild month

17 November 2023 , 18:25

746     0

It is likely it will snow across higher ground in the northern half of the UK next weekend (Image: PA)

Snow will fall in the UK as early as next weekend, according to new Met Office predictions.

New long-range forecasts, which predict weather up until the end of November, mention "wintry showers" for the first time - and it's because temperatures are expected to drop quickly in the coming week. By next weekend, snow is likely on higher ground, including across Scotland and northern England, forecasters anticipate.

Greg Dewhurst, meteorologist at the Met Office, told Mirror today a bitter northerly wind will cause colder conditions and the first significant snow flurries of this winter. He said: "There are signs that, as we head towards the end of next week into the weekend, we could see some wintry showers to kick off in the northern half of the UK as winds turn a bit more northerly for a time."

Forecasters remind us it is unlikely we will see prolonged cold conditions (PA)

But Mr Dewhurst stressed such conditions aren't entirely unusual for this time of year and Daily Star reports any periods of wintry weather won't be "prolonged or unusually cold" during this period. Perhaps through the second half of next week, typically across the northern half of the UK, some sleet and snow showers are possible. At this time of year, there's always risks, particularly on high ground, of some snow."

Writing on its long-range forecast, which covers Wednesday November 22 to Friday December 1, the Met Office says: "Towards the weekend, rain may spread south across the UK and introduce cooler conditions from the north, with some wintry showers possible over the hills. It's uncertain exactly when such a cooler spell would occur or how long it would last, and it's possible that some areas, especially towards the south and west of the UK, may stay in the milder air throughout."

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

The verdict comes after other forecast services suggested Great Britain would face "a snowy blast" - but the Met Office has quashed this rumour. Despite forecasts suggesting that Scotland can expect inches of snowfall, the Met Office doesn't mention snow in its forecast.

Instead, the weather agency - which mentioned in a video on Thursday, presented by Alex Burkill, that snow and wintry conditions could occur - promised a "dry" period. However, the agency did say "wintry showers" will occur only "over the hills", potentially affecting more rural communities and those living at higher altitudes in Scotland.

Nevertheless, James Madden, forecaster with Exacta Weather, had said: "The worst hit areas also look likely to be across the northern half of the country for this period and this does also include snow to lower levels in these parts too."

Ethan Blackshaw