Almost the entire country could be affected by blizzards, new snow weather maps suggest.
Almost the entire country could be affected by blizzards, new snow weather maps suggest (Image: Getty)
Britain could be blanketed by snow later this month as new weather maps suggest widespread wintry conditions sweeping across the UK, leaving only a handful of counties escaping the worst of the blizzards. New ECMWF charts, generated by WXCharts on January 15, show snow pushing south and west across much of the country by January 27, with freezing temperatures digging in from the North Sea and Scandinavia.
According to the ‘Winter Overview’ charts, which predict snow depth and levels of precipitation, widespread snowfall is forecast across Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and large parts of eastern and central England. Bands of snow are shown moving westwards, driven by an easterly airflow – a classic setup for disruptive snow showers and longer spells of snowfall. The maps suggest that only a small number of counties in the far south-west may avoid significant snowfall altogether.
Much of the UK is expected to turn white on January 27 (Image: WXCharts)
Parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and possibly coastal areas of Somerset and West Sussex appear closest to the milder Atlantic air, meaning they could see rain or sleet instead of snow, or largely miss the worst of the wintry conditions.
Elsewhere, much of the UK is expected to turn white, with snow depth signals strongest over higher ground but also extending to lower levels, particularly in eastern England. Cities such as Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, and even parts of London are situated close to the snow zone according to the latest projections.
Minimum temperature maps for 6pm on January 27 indicate sub-zero lows across large parts of England, Wales and Scotland, with values dropping well below freezing in eastern and northern regions. Scotland appears to be especially hard hit, with bitter cold spreading southwards into northern England and the Midlands. Temperatures could drop as low as -5C in the Scottish Highlands and -4C in areas south of Newcastle. Even in southern England, temperatures around London could still be as low as -2C.
The maps also show the 528 dam thickness line sweeping across large parts of the UK – a key indicator used by forecasters to flag air cold enough for snow. With this line positioned well south, it suggests conditions are primed for snowfall to reach low levels should precipitation develop.
Minimum temperature maps for 6pm on January 27 indicate sub-zero lows across large parts of England, Wales and Scotland (Image: WXCharts)
5 counties predicted to escape blizzards on January 27
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- Somerset
- West Sussex
The Met Office‘s long-range forecast for the period January 19 to January 27 reads: “Throughout this period, the UK will see a battle between Atlantic weather systems attempting to arrive from the west while high pressure and colder conditions attempt to exert some influence from the east.
“Initially, milder Atlantic air is expected to dominate. This should maintain changeable conditions with showers or longer spells of rain for most. The wettest weather in western parts of the country, drier in the east. Temperatures overall likely to be around average.
“Later in the period, there is an increased chance that conditions will turn colder. This aspect of the forecast is still somewhat uncertain but the potential transition to colder weather also increases the chance of snow across parts of the country.”
Regarding its long-range forecasting, the Met Office warns: “When looking at forecasts beyond five days into the future, the chaotic nature of the atmosphere begins to play a larger part – small events currently over the Atlantic can have potentially significant impacts on our weather in the UK and Ireland in several days’ time”.
