UK snow latest as maps show London to Devon ‘disappear’ in battering | Weather | News

Weather charts show the UK is facing a massive snowpack as temperatures plummet to -10C. WXCharts suggests that Scotland will have the mercury at its lowest in the coming days, as is usually the case, as minus double figures appear on the chart on January 9th.

Further south, maps show a huge blanket of snow will loom over much of the south-east, south-west, midlands and Wales. It looks like it will stretch from Devon to East Anglia, passing Stoke-on-Trent and stopping just before reaching Manchester.

The Met Office is forecasting that a “mixture of rain, sleet and snow” will “move across the country at times, with the risk of strong winds” between 8 and 10 January. Experts add that Britons should expect conditions to remain cold due to frontal systems coming in from the west.

The Met Office adds that meteorologists look at three main indicators when forecasting snow: where the air is coming from, very heavy rainfall and warm air meeting cold air.

Experts add: “If the air comes from a warmer area or has sat over warm water for a long time, it will be more difficult for snow to form.

“If it’s coming from a cold area, usually the north, then there’s a chance of snow.”

Those in the know emphasize that most precipitation in clouds begins as snow or “supercooled” raindrops, but these often melt before hitting the ground.

“However, heavy rainfall in winter can keep temperatures close to the ground, increasing the likelihood of heavy rainfall turning to snow,” the Met Office said.

“Presenters often talk about fronts between warm and cold air,” he adds.

“In winter, these fronts can cause moisture and snow to fall.

“There’s often a fine line between who sees snow and who sees rain, which is one of the reasons snow forecasting is difficult.”