Met Office issues UK snow verdict as 'widespread snowfall' possible

The Met Office has issued its latest verdict on where snow might fall this week and next as the UK gears up for an "early winter cold spell".

Forecasters warned there will be a "major change" in the weather from this weekend, with some "disruptive" conditions expected that could lead to weather warnings being issued.

From Friday evening, cold Arctic air will move across the UK, bringing strong winds, lower temperatures and the possibility of some hill snow in the north. By Sunday, low pressure will move in, bringing the start of much colder weather across the whole of the country.

READ MORE: Met Office issues 'frequent' snow update and says where it is set to fall in England

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: "A notable early winter cold spell will arrive across the north from Sunday and will likely reach all parts of the UK by midweek. Temperatures will drop as a northerly airflow develops, bringing in colder Arctic air. This introduces the possibility of snow, initially over high ground in the north from Sunday, with gusty winds also a potential hazard."

The Met Office said the forecast beyond the weekend is much less certain as computer models currently show a number of different scenarios.

Ms Hick explained: "There is a lot of uncertainty in what might happen after Sunday, but there are a number of scenarios which could bring some more widespread rain, along with some hill snow and stronger winds.

"It is possible that there may be some more widespread snowfall across lower ground, but the chance of this for any given region is low at this stage.

"What we do know is that the whole of the UK is likely to experience a spell of several days of cold, potentially disruptive weather next week. Warnings for wintry hazards, including snow and ice, are possible, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast."

The Met Office released a graphic showing three different scenarios that could play out between Monday and Tuesday next week, with varying amounts of snow predicted.

The most likely scenario, with a 50 per cent chance of occurring, shows a shallow low in the south of the country, with rain and some hill snow on its northern edge. In this scenario, there could also be some sleet or snow showers in coastal regions across the country.

The second scenario, which is 30 per cent likely, shows a much deeper low across the middle of the country. That would bring strong winds, heavy rain in the south of the UK, and sleet and snow over northern areas. There could also be some blizzards on high ground.

The third scenario, with a 20 per cent chance of happening, shows northerly winds dominating, which would bring very cold conditions. Snow showers could hit coastal regions, while inland would remain drier and brighter.

According to the Met Office, predicting where and when snow will fall more than a few days in advance is very tricky in the UK. Meteorologists have to look at several competing elements including where the air has come from and the amount of precipitation among other factors.

Mark Sidaway, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office said: "Despite what some headlines suggest, it’s not possible to accurately pick out an ‘exact date’ for snow to hit the UK weeks in advance, but we do have some long-range outputs that can help us to understand the chances.

"Different projections of the future are run multiple times through weather forecasting models. Often these will be quite similar at short ranges, but by the time you get weeks ahead, these can have a significant range of possible weather conditions in the future. It’s our job as meteorologists to look at all these projections and understand what it’s telling us about the likelihood of conditions.

"Certainty will tend to increase as we get closer to the time, and the best indication of impactful snow in the forecast would be when a Met Office National Severe Weather Warning is issued."