The Met Office’s latest long-range forecast says snow and frosty weather could strike just days before Christmas – while other forecasters are also predicting chilly -6C temperatures
Snow and cold frosty mornings could be on the way to Britain just days before Christmas, according to new forecasts.
The Met Office’s latest long-range forecasts warn of a risk of snow across northern hills between December 13 and 27 due to an incoming high pressure system. Frost and frog will also be likely under clear skies during this period alongside some wet and windy weather, the national forecaster said.
The full forecast reads: “Across the south of the country, high pressure is signalled to be prevalent through the second half of December. Less settled weather is more likely at times though, especially across the north and west. This means wetter and windier spells are possible with a risk of some snow, especially across northern hills.
“These weather systems are expected to move fairly promptly, with settled spells developing between them, with settled conditions perhaps becoming UK-wide. As a result of these, frost and fog will be notably present where skies clear overnight. Temperatures generally close to average through the period, or slightly above in areas which are wet and windy.”
It comes after another forecaster predicted snow and subzero conditions in the run-up to December 25. Maps from WXCharts, which uses MetDesk data, show low temperatures of -6C in Scotland on Monday 9 December, -5C in the north of England and -4C in the south on Monday 9 December. Parts of western Scotland will be hit by snow from midday, before spreading to Northern Ireland, mid-Wales and parts of Cumbria and Lancashire by midnight on December 10.
Another forecast from Netweather for December adds: “This means that there could be snow for some, particularly on high ground and in the north. Overall, the weather during this period is expected to be more unsettled, but not particularly wet, with high pressure often quite close to the south and/or west of the British Isles.”
Bookies are already confident that the UK will see a White Christmas, which officially occurs when one snowflake is observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December anywhere in the UK. It’s now a 1/2 shot for any part of the UK to see snow on December 25th. Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “A White Christmas looks increasingly likely, with odds continuing to tumble on December going down as the coldest on record.”
