2 days Ago By Aditi Rane
The UK is bracing for a prolonged snowstorm set to blanket the nation over the next six days, with weather maps forecasting widespread disruptions and accumulations of up to 15 inches in some areas. According to the latest data from WXCharts, the heaviest snowfalls are expected to target Scotland , northern England, and parts of Wales, while smaller but still significant amounts will extend to southern England. By January 12, accumulations of up to 15 inches are forecast for the Scottish Highlands, with widespread depths of 4–10 inches across northern regions and higher elevations of Wales.
The Met Office issued a yellow and amber weather warnings for snow and ice over the weekend, covering nearly all of the UK. Amber weather warnings will be in effect from 6pm today until midnight on Sunday (January 5). Met Office forecasters said: "Snow will become persistent and locally heavy as it pushes south to north across the warning area.
"As well as snow, a period of freezing rain is also likely, bringing some hazardous travel conditions before milder air follows across all areas by Sunday morning." The snowfall will come in waves, beginning with a substantial system arriving tomorrow (Sunday). This is forecast to bring snow depths of up to 20cm to northern England and Scotland, as depicted in the forecast maps.
By next Thursday, a second major front will deepen snow cover further, with some areas in central and northern Scotland accumulating more than 30cm. Elsewhere, southern regions will see lighter snow accumulations of around 2–7cm (up to 3 inches), while icy conditions could still create widespread travel headaches. Coastal regions may experience a mix of rain and snow, leading to slush and localised flooding risks.
The forecast suggests the snow will linger well into mid-January, with cold air entrenched across the UK. High pressure systems over the Atlantic are expected to block milder air, ensuring that temperatures remain low and snow cover persists. The following warnings are currently in place or coming into effect in the hours and days ahead: Yellow ice warning for Scotland, northwest England, northern Wales and parts of Northern Ireland (Friday 4pm to Saturday) Yellow snow and ice warning for most of England, southern Scotland and all of Wales (noon on Saturday to Sunday 11.
59pm) Amber snow and ice warning covering most of Wales, the Midlands, and parts of northern England, (Saturday 6pm to noon on Sunday) Amber snow warning for most of northern England and parts of the Midlands (Saturday 9pm to Sunday 11.59pm) Yellow snow warning for most of Scotland (Sunday 12am to Monday 12pm).
