A significant Arctic weather system is poised to sweep across the United Kingdom next week, threatening to blanket the majority of England in snow. According to the latest forecast maps, only nine counties are expected to be spared from the incoming 'snow bomb'.
Widespread Disruption Forecast for Late January
Maps from WX Charts, which utilises data from Met Desk, indicate a huge Arctic front will move back into the UK around January 26, 2026. The visualisations show extensive blotches of white covering the country from the south coast and East of England all the way to the north east, signalling likely snow depths and accumulations.
This predicted downturn comes just days after the first major wintry event of the year, Storm Goretti, which left parts of Birmingham covered in snow last week.
The Lucky Counties Avoiding the Whiteout
While 51 major towns and cities could face being covered, not all areas will be brought to a standstill. The forecast maps show several regions remaining grey, indicating they are likely to miss the worst of the snowfall.
The counties currently expected to be spared include:
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- Herefordshire
- Bedfordshire
- Oxfordshire
- Wiltshire
- Berkshire
Expert Analysis: From Rain to Deep Cold
In the immediate future, the UK is set for more unsettled conditions. Jo Farrow from Netweather TV notes that Atlantic low pressures will bring further rain, with a Met Office yellow warning for rain in place for parts of southern England on Thursday. "Heavy rain falling on saturated ground" may lead to surface water flooding.
However, a shift is on the horizon. Farrow explains that a significant high pressure building over eastern Europe will start to block the wet and windy lows from the west. "As the eastern high pressure drifts northwards over Scandinavia, there are signs that the deep cold over NE Europe and Russia might begin to creep our way later this month," she said.
This aligns with predictions from Exacta Weather's James Madden, who foresees a period of disruptive snow. He stated: "The overnight and very latest GFS run... follows the same good to excellent trend... in terms of widespread snow for many during later next week (from as early as Friday to Monday of next week and beyond) and on at least multiple occasions." He also indicated that northern parts could see wintry showers as early as this coming weekend.
The forecast suggests a return to the cold and snowy conditions that marked the start of 2026, urging residents across most of England to prepare for potential travel disruption and wintery hazards from late next week.
