The number of English counties set to avoid snowfall this week has dramatically fallen, with forecasters now identifying just four areas that will remain snow-free.
Shrinking Snow-Free Zones
What began as a list of nine counties expected to escape the wintry weather has now been drastically reduced. Only Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire are now anticipated to be spared from the snow expected to hit much of the country before the week concludes.
The areas facing snow disruption have expanded significantly, with the Home Counties now joining large parts of Northern England on the alert list. Suffolk, Norfolk, and Oxfordshire have all been added to the growing number of counties bracing for snowfall.
Detailed Weather Forecast
The Met Office forecast for the coming days indicates challenging conditions across many regions. Their outlook states that rain and snow will clear from southern areas during Wednesday morning, followed by plenty of sunshine but also frequent wintry showers feeding into areas exposed to the cold northerly wind, with snow accumulating in some places.
For Thursday to Saturday, the forecast adds: "Sunshine, with wintry showers slowly easing on Thursday. Widespread frost and some ice at first, and again overnight. Rain spreading from the west during Friday and Saturday. Turning less cold."
Ice Warnings and Regional Impacts
Weather expert Jo Farrow from Netweather TV highlighted specific concerns for Tuesday morning, noting an ice warning affecting higher parts of the Central Belt, Southern Uplands, and Pennine routes into the Yorkshire Dales.
"This will be a tricky mix of rain, sleet and snow with the risk of ice," Farrow explained. "The main focus of the wintry mix will be over NW England and western Scotland on Tuesday morning. One pulse looks to move across the Pennines, Cumbria Fells and the Yorkshire Dales in the morning."
This system could potentially move across to the North Yorkshire Moors by lunchtime, bringing snow over hills and high-level routes. While rain showers are expected to affect Northern Ireland, the Irish Sea, Wales, and southwest England, eastern Britain should experience brighter spells and lighter winds.
The rapid expansion of snow-affected areas serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of British winter weather, with residents across most of England now preparing for potential disruption.
