06 January 2023 , 10:39
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The Premier League season is not yet halfway through, but there are already concerns about the potential impact of upcoming snow on a fixture list with little room for manoeuvre.
Even before the campaign began, the prospect of a mid-season World Cup meant the schedule was likely to be more crammed than usual. Further postponement of matches around the death of Queen Elizabeth II further impacted the fixture list, with a number of the rearranged games in question still get to be played.
Now, there could be further disruption amid reports of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures set to hit the UK, with the north of the UK most likely to be impacted. Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at the games which could come under threat.
While a number of grounds in the country are well-equipped to deal with snowfall, the same is not true of the streets near stadiums - even in the Premier League. It has been the case in the past that road surfaces have caused postponements, with fans unable to safely make their way to games.
Last season, a Premier League game between Burnley and Tottenham was called off due to a blizzard impacting the Clarets' Turf Moor ground. In February 2022, meanwhile, Storm Eunice led to a number of EFL games falling victim to the weather.
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One of the EFL games which could find itself under threat this time around is Carlisle's match against Newport on January 14. Snow is expected to hit Cumbria that weekend, and the survival of the match may depend on the severity. Barrow, the other Cumbrian side in the top four divisions in England, are away from home for each of their next two fixtures.
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Snow is set to hit the UK throughout January (WXCHARTS.COM)Based on the latest forecasts, Scotland is expected to be impacted far more than England. Heavy snowfall is anticipated in a number of areas of the country on January 13, when Hearts are due to host St Mirren in the top-flight, while this weekend's game between Ross County and Livingston could also be impacted.
Snow is expected to hit more frequently the further north we go, with Inverness among the areas set to be impacted more than once. Inverness Caledonian Thistle are due to take on Arbroath on January 14, with the latest weather charts suggesting significant snowfall could be on the way.
"We could see some snow hitting parts of Britain around the New Year period, but this is likely to be restricted to the northern half of the country,’ Exacta weather forecaster James Madden said. What looks more likely in England, as things stand, is significant rainfall between now and the end of the month
For the time being, then, that means English Premier League games look like avoiding the brunt of the snowfall, avoiding an escalation of the already worrying fixture congestion. North of the border, though, teams may be less fortunate.