Forecasters have issued a series of new weather warnings for snow and ice, set to blanket large parts of the United Kingdom this weekend. However, a significant portion of England is expected to remain untouched by the wintry conditions.
Weekend Weather Warnings in Detail
The Met Office has activated multiple yellow warnings across the nation for Saturday, January 10, and Sunday, January 11. On Saturday, an ice warning is in force until midday for extensive areas covering the Midlands, North West, south west England, and Wales. Simultaneously, a separate snow and ice warning covers Northern Ireland.
A further snow and ice alert is active for Scotland, the north Midlands, North East, and North West of England until 3pm on Saturday. The situation continues into Sunday, with another yellow warning for snow coming into effect across Scotland from 2am.
The Counties Escaping the Snowfall
The forecaster indicates that only the counties situated south of Staffordshire will avoid the snowfall. This means a total of 27 English counties are set to be spared the 'white stuff' over the weekend.
The full list of counties expected to escape includes:
- Warwickshire
- Rutland
- Leicestershire
- Northamptonshire
- Worcestershire
- Herefordshire
- Gloucestershire
- Oxfordshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Norfolk
- Suffolk
- Bedfordshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Hertfordshire
- Essex
- Wiltshire
- Somerset
- Surrey
- Greater London
- Kent
- Sussex
- Hampshire
- Dorset
- Devon
- Cornwall
What to Expect in Affected Areas
The Met Office has provided detailed guidance on the expected conditions. A band of snow is predicted to move across the warning areas on Sunday morning. In northern England, accumulations will mostly be confined to ground above 200 metres in elevation.
Across Scotland, however, snow could fall to low levels during the morning before retreating to higher ground in the afternoon. While not all low-lying areas will see settling snow, 2 to 5cm is likely, with a potential for 10cm in some localised spots.
Above 200 metres, more significant accumulations of 10 to 20cm are possible. On hills exposed to strong southerly winds, and over the highest parts of Scotland, this could reach up to 30cm locally. The Met Office also warns that strong winds may lead to drifting snow and widespread icy conditions.
A spokesperson added: "Amounts of snow will depend quite heavily on both elevation and the intensity of precipitation. As the band pushes east through the afternoon, it will begin to transition to an awkward mix of rain, sleet and snow. Therefore there is likely to be a lot of variation, even over relatively short distances."
Residents in areas under warnings are advised to check the latest forecasts and travel updates, as conditions may change rapidly.
