Snow has already started falling in the UK, as Brits prepare for a long and cold winter – and now the Met Office has confirmed the regions where most snow usually falls
The regions where the most snow falls have been revealed by the Met Office.
Its figures are based on the ‘annual average days of snow falling’ in the UK between 1981-2010. The figures show the number of days of lying snow, and a list of 10 places reveals where snow flurries are most prominent.
The Cairngorm National Park which can be found in the Grampian Mountains, Scotland, is the snowiest location in the UK, according to weather forecasters’ figures. The hugely popular snowsports destination is a Mecca for skiers, and its Cairngorm chairlift had the highest average number of snowfall. The top slot recorded 76 days of lying snow a year according to averages and the weather station at Aviemore recorded 66 days.
Considering how far north the Shetland Islands are, it is no surprise that it was second on the list. The islands are 70km north of mainland Scotland, But the village of Baltasound on Unst is the Met Office’s most northerly weather station. The weather station there recorded 65 days of snow each year, after Lerwick on its mainland which had 64 days.
Fair Isle, is again part of Shetland, and sees an average of 63 days of snow every year. It can be found between the Orkney Islands and mainland Shetland where fewer than 100 people live.
The Scottish island theme continued with the Orkney Islands taking third place in the listing on its North and South Isles. The Loch of Hundland on the island chain’s mainland recorded 59 days of snow every year.
It is not before the fifth location on the list that England makes an entry in the Met Office listings. The North Pennines in Copley, County Durham has an average 53 days of snow every year. It is located south of the North Pennines AONB which is among only a handful of outdoor ski centres in England.
The Pennines also make an entry in seventh place. The location of Widdybank Fell is also home to waterfalls, High Force Falls and Cauldron Snout, The popular walking route, the Pennine Way, goes through the area and has an average of 50 days snowfall every year.
Returning again to Scotland, Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway has one of the most well-known weather stations in the UK and has date going back a century. In the 1981-2010 period, the village had an average of 50 days snowfall every year.
The Met Office listings shows the snowiest locations were in Scotland, with just two places in England making an entry, Copley took fifth place and Widdybank Fell was seventh.
Location and snow days
1. Cairngorm Chairlift 76.2
2. Baltasound 64.7
3. Fair Isle 62.8
4. Loch of Hundland 59.0
5. Copley 52.7
6. Leadhills 51.6
7. Widdybank Fell 50.2
8. Eskdalemuir 49.8
9. Kinbrace 49.2
10. Knockan 48.5
