Will it snow this weekend? Latest Met Office UK weather forecast
2026 is off to a cold start so far after an Arctic blast brought heavy snowfall to Scotland and Storm Goretti left parts of the country without power.
Thousands of children in northern Scotland missed several days of school last week as torrential rains caused disruption across large parts of the country. The Met Office has issued yellow snow and ice warnings as freezing temperatures hit Scotland.
Other parts of the UK saw wind, ice, snow and rain after Storm Goretti was dubbed a “multi-hazard event”. Authorities in the West Midlands have warned of the “worst snowfall in a decade”, with parts of England and Wales seeing 15 to 25cm of snowfall.
Temperatures have since stabilized, but there were yellow rain and fog warnings in place across parts of England and Wales this week. So is it possible we’ll see more snow this weekend?
Snow looks unlikely across the UK, with temperatures remaining close to average for this time of year and the lowest temperature this weekend being 4C in the north of England and Scotland. The highest temperature will be 9C in London and the Southeast. The weather is showery, with occasional fog and occasional frost expected in the northern parts.
Met Office senior operational meteorologist Liam Eslick said: Independent: “Colder weather is not expected to return to the UK in the near future. Temperatures will remain close to average for most of next week.
“While there is still a small chance that winds from the East will bring coolness in the last week of January, this is still a long time away, giving time for the forecast to change. For now, it is equally likely that milder southern weather will persist and keep the cold at bay.”
“Snow this weekend will be confined to the high hills of Scotland, which is not unusual for midwinter.”
Meteorologist Alex Deakin added that cold weather would not return in the short term, but temperatures could be “slightly below average” next week.
Although the jet stream in the Atlantic appears active, it weakens as it reaches the UK, meaning weather conditions are slow moving.
While low pressure comes from the Atlantic, a high pressure block occurs in Northern Europe. This means less cold air or wind is heading towards the UK.
Met Office’s five-day weather forecast
Friday evening and overnight stay
Mostly cloudy with occasional showers occurring most frequently in the West. A mix of low clouds and patches of fog in the central and eastern regions, perhaps becoming quite common in eastern England. There is a risk of frost in the north.
Saturday
Early fog patches are slowly lifting, otherwise it’s a sunny and showery day; these are heaviest and most frequent in the West, but diminish in the afternoon. Near normal temperatures.
Outlook from Sunday to Tuesday
Variable few days. Mostly cloudy with some bright spells and showers. There are some areas of night frost and fog, the fog freezing locally and gradually dissipating.
