UK: Weekend to Bring First Snowfall of Season to Many

By Jillian MacMath, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

November 19,2015; 10:20PM,EST

 

 

The coldest air of the season so far will blast the United Kingdom this weekend, leaving a dusting of snow as far south as the Midlands and high terrain of Wales.
Arctic air will surge from north to south across the U.K. beginning Friday, marking a noticeable change in temperature after the second mildest start to November on record.
On Friday, the cold air will begin to extend southward, spreading between 8 and 15 cm (3 and 6 inches) of snow across the Scottish Highlands.
In lower elevations in northern and eastern Scotland and in North East England, accumulations of 2-8 cm (1-3 inches) are possible.

"With temperatures around freezing as cold air drives in from the north, at the very least, most major cities will see snowflakes flying," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
Those in Glasgow, Scotland; Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham, England; and Cardiff, Wales; could awake to a dusting of snow on Saturday morning.
"Flakes will be seen all the way to the southern coast of England, including in London; however, no lasting accumulations are expected in these areas," AccuWeather Meteorologist Eric Leister said.
Temperatures will range from 0-3 degrees Celsius (32-37 F) in Scotland and northern England and 5-7 C (41-45 F) across southern England.
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Strong winds will accompany the snow and low temperatures, making the air feel even colder. The Met Office is calling for strong to gale force northwesterly winds Friday night and Saturday across central and southern Britain.
This could result in icy patches where snow or showers have fallen.
"With strong winds and some snow forecast for this weekend, there is the likelihood of some difficult driving conditions and disruption to transport," U.K. Met Office Chief Operational Meteorologist Frank Saunders warned.
"There remains some uncertainty regarding the strength of the wind and snow amounts, and so if you have travel plans over the weekend we'd advise that you keep an eye on the warnings for your area."
Though it will be a wintry weekend for many, the cold spell isn't expected to stick around.
"The shot of cold air will linger into Monday before more seasonable air arrives from the west on Tuesday," Leister said.