Britain gears up for a prolonged wintry blast next week, as meteorological charts forecast around 30 hours of steady snowfall across multiple counties. Snow bands first arrive at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, and continue until 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13.
Affected Areas
By midday Wednesday, snow pushes into parts of Yorkshire and County Durham, including Harrogate and Darlington. Newcastle and Durham also face snow flurries. Extensive snowfall blankets Scotland from Ayr to central and northern areas during this period. Northwest Scotland sees snow starting around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Further south, northern England spots like Blackpool, Preston, and Blackburn encounter rain instead of snow.
The 13 counties at risk include:
- Highlands
- Argyll & Bute
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
- Clackmannanshire
- Cheshire
- Staffordshire
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
- West Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- Shropshire
- Derbyshire
Temperature Drops and Conditions
Temperatures plunge to near-freezing across much of Scotland by 6 a.m. Wednesday. Minimums range from 3°C to 7°C in most of England.
The Met Office forecast for Tuesday through Thursday predicts: “Rain moving southeastwards on Tuesday. This followed on Wednesday and Thursday by sunshine and showers, heavy and thundery at times. Rather cool and often breezy. Further overnight frosts.”
Expert Analysis
Meteorologist Nick Finnis notes: “Later in the week, air will have originated from within the Arctic Circle, so it will feel distinctly chilly, particularly out of the sun, while snow is a possibility for Scottish mountains.”
He adds: “There will be showers most days in the cool northerly or northwesterly flow, turning heavier from mid-week, when Arctic air arrives, while at night there will be a risk of widespread frost as skies clear—particularly later in the week.”
A weakening cold front advances southeast across the UK on Tuesday, bringing patchy rain that tapers off in the southeast by early evening. Sunny spells precede and follow the front, with blustery showers in the northwest. Temperatures remain similar to Monday.
