Britain is bracing for a second, more severe snow bomb later this week, with weather models predicting a colossal wall of flurries stretching over 739 miles from the north of Scotland to the southern coast.
Maps Show Extensive Snowfall From North to South
According to the latest data from WX Charts and the advanced GFS modelling system, the most significant disruption is now expected on January 11 and 12. This follows earlier yellow weather warnings issued by the Met Office for January 8 and 9, which affected areas including Birmingham.
The new snow band is forecast to be astonishingly extensive, potentially reaching from Wick on Scotland's northern tip all the way down to Folkestone in Kent. This suggests that regions much further south than previously anticipated could see significant wintry showers.
Key Areas in the Firing Line
The modelling indicates that heavy snow showers on January 12 will impact a wide swathe of the country. Major urban centres and counties are in line for a hammering, including:
- Newcastle, Manchester, and Leeds in the north
- Birmingham, Leicester, and Stoke-on-Trent in the Midlands
- London and Oxford in the south
- Blackpool, Gloucester, and the Cotswolds
Only a handful of counties are expected to be spared by this widespread wintry assault.
Met Office and BBC Weather Outlook
The BBC Weather team has analysed the complex setup, explaining that Atlantic low-pressure systems will battle high pressure at higher latitudes next week. This is likely to create a sharp north-south split across the UK.
"The southern half of the UK [will see] unsettled conditions with periodic rain and perhaps some strong winds, but temperatures should be above normal overall," the forecast states. "Brief colder shots between weather systems could still deliver some wintriness over higher ground."
In contrast, the northern half of the country is expected to stay colder than average, with the lowest temperatures in Scotland. It should also be drier than the south, though with occasional wintry showers.
The most critical zone will be the boundary between the mild south and cold north. The BBC adds: "Between the mild weather in the south and the cold in the north there will be chances of occasional snow along and north of frontal boundaries... most likely through central portions of the UK." This aligns perfectly with the WX Charts prediction for heavy snow across central England.
The forecast concludes by noting that later outlooks will assess the potential for a milder turn in February or the risk of a return to even colder conditions.
