After Storm Malik and Storm Corrie they’ll no doubt be many people hoping that these destructive weather events will be the last they see of storms and snow in the UK this year. But whilst the south of the country might escape significant snowfall over the coming weeks, once again it’s northern regions that are facing predictions of blizzards and freezing temperatures. So keep your best cashmere sweaters and best winter coats within easy reach as Valentine’s Day approaches as things are set to get a whole lot colder before the first hints of spring emerge.
But when exactly is it going to snow in the UK and where is it confirmed? We reveal all you need to know about the blizzards closing in…
WHEN IS IT GOING TO SNOW IN THE UK THIS YEAR AND WHERE?
Anyone eagerly wondering when mornings get lighter will already be dreaming of spring, though for large parts of the country the winter weather conditions aren’t letting up yet. Instead, early February will make your best winter boots and warmest leggings some of the most reached-for items in your wardrobe. As with the UK’s recent storms, from Storm Arwen in November 2021 to Storm Malik, it’s Scotland and northern England that are expected to be the worst affected by the snowfall over the coming days.
According to The Mirror, the Met Office previously predicted that Dalwhinnie in Scotland could wake up to temperatures of -3 degrees Celsius on February 7th as the Arctic weather arrived. Whilst The Sun reports that the Met Office are expecting areas in the north west of the UK to experience rain throughout the rest of this week before arctic conditions and wintry showers really take hold on Thursday, February 10th.
The publication adds that as much as six inches of snow could fall on the peaks of Scotland, with almost two inches possible elsewhere in the UK. Meanwhile, weather maps from WX Charts have reportedly suggested Scotland could end up seeing as as much as 16.9 inches of snow settling over the next week as the arctic blast takes over the country.
Ahead of this, The Sun has now shared that as the week of February 7th draws to a close, snow flurries of up to 2cm of snow are forecast further south in Manchester, with around 1cm predicted for Birmingham in the Midlands on Friday, February 11th.
Opening up about the bitter temperatures, ex-BBC and Met Office forecaster John Hammond explained, “A plunge of Arctic air looks set to sweep down across the UK later in the week, which may well see hard frost and some snow. Temperatures ahead are expected to average out rather lower than through much of winter, with more frequent incursions of Arctic air.”
He went on to predict that the snow in the UK and the rain that so many areas have been experiencing instead could well continue into March.
“A wetter and chillier mix looks likely as we head into March. Late snow is a possibility,” John disclosed.
It seems that for anyone who lives in Scotland and northern England, the likelihood of seeing some heavy snow in the UK over the next few weeks is far higher. With potential snow on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to bring out your ultimate hot chocolate recipe to keep you warm on these cold winter nights.
WILL IT SNOW ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE UK?
As with previous forecasts of snow in the UK, the majority of the predicted flurries are expected to fall in northern areas of the country. Further south, things look set to be more settled in comparison. According to the Met Office’s weekly forecast, a cold front of air will “stall” across the UK in the second week of February which will keep a lot of that freezing air in the north whilst the south enjoys warmer air temperatures.
This might sound like brilliant news for anyone living in southern areas, but it seems that where there isn’t snow there will instead be chilling rain. The forecast went on to predict rain and drizzle for “western upslopes” in the south on February 8th, though by Thursday early rain will leave the south east of England, leaving clear and cold conditions. Friday will then see frost in the morning for the region before plenty of sunshine, with “isolated showers” in the north.
But whilst southern or low-lying regions might not experience huge flurries of snow in the UK imminently, the British weather is famously changeable and the arrival of yet more winter storms could see more extreme conditions arrive once again.
Senior Meteorologist at British Weather Services Jim Dale has previously expressed his belief to The Sun that there could be as many as six major storms during the winter, which began with the
So far since autumn 2021 the UK has experienced four—Storm Arwen, Storm Barra, Storm Malik and Storm Corrie—leaving two more to potentially cause havoc across the country. Jim revealed that they could be “significant” and that this is “payback” after a very mild autumn.
“There is always a balancing effect taken by the weather, and autumn was far too calm for us not to see a payback during the winter which will bring several significant storms,” he shared.
So it seems that Brits should prepare themselves for the possibility of some blizzards of snow in the UK brought by yet more storms before spring arrives. There’s never been a better time to remain warm inside watching the best romantic movies ahead of Valentine’s Day
WILL IT SNOW IN LONDON 2022?
Whilst some Londoners might be dreaming of seeing some snow in the UK before spring arrives, others are likely enjoying the capital being a snow-free zone. So far this winter, London has yet to have any major flurries and it currently looks like there’ll be no snow days in the coming weeks. This isn’t unsurprising for this time of year as the Met Office reports that statistically, the place that most often experiences snow in the UK is the Cairngorms in Scotland.
Here there is an average of 76.2 days of snow or sleet falling, whilst in contrast, the possibility of seeing significant snowfall in London is much smaller.
According to World Atlas, data from the Met Office has shown that the central parts of London actually experience less than 10 days of snow or sleet each year and that for these few days, the snow rarely settles. It’s understood that the outskirts of London and areas with higher altitudes tend to get more snow during these rare days, as the urban centre of the capital often has a higher temperature.
This causes snow to melt more quickly there and makes it more unlikely that snowflakes will actually settle when they fall. Between January and March, snow in the UK is also more common regardless of area, whilst the run-up to Christmas is often slightly milder.
In previous years, London has seen some seriously major early-year snowfall—after all, who could forget the Beast from the East in March 2018? This arctic snow storm blew in, leaving transport struggling to keep moving through the shocking conditions. Now a distant memory for Londoners after many years of very little settled snow, it’s currently looking unlikely that 2022 could see a repeat of this level of snow in the UK’s capital.
CAN IT BE TOO COLD TO SNOW?
Temperatures are set to plummet once again across the country, likely leaving many people wondering if it can ever be too cold to snow in the UK at all. But unfortunately for those hoping that lower temperatures decrease the chance of precipitation falling as snow, this sadly isn’t the case.
The answer to this intriguing question is that technically there is no temperature that is too cold for it to snow. Snow can fall at exceptionally cold temperatures and the main condition required for flurries is, of course, moisture in the air.
As revealed by AccuWeather, warmer air tends to hold more moisture whilst in colder temperatures moisture in the air is significantly reduced. This means that the colder the temperature, the less water there will be in the air, making it a question of being too dry rather than too cold for it to snow, especially heavily and settling. It’s for this reason that when there are dryer conditions in the south of the country, Brits living there see much less snow than those living further north.
Whether or not you’re hoping to see some snow in the UK this winter, arctic conditions are on the way and with rain, flurries and frost all possible in February, it’ll be some time yet before the warmth of spring truly arrives.
