The Met Office has issued a severe Amber weather warning for snow and ice for parts of England and Wales this weekend, with up to 30cm to 40cm of snow possible in parts of northern England.
Friday night remains cold, with ice falling in many places, and an area of low pressure moves from the southwest into the UK on Saturday.
This will initially bring rain to south-west England, but this will gradually turn to snow as it meets colder air over the UK in the late afternoon and evening into Sunday.
snow warning
Areas of central and southern England are expected to see snow in the evening and into Sunday, before turning to rain.
Snow continues to fall in northern England, with significant accumulation possible into Sunday.
Further south, there is a risk of freezing rain as snow turns to rain, particularly over Wales. This is a dangerous weather phenomenon where rain freezes instantly when it reaches the ground, creating dangerous icy conditions.
Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: “This weekend will bring a range of weather hazards to the UK, with significant snowfall, freezing rain, freezing rain, heavy rain and even some gusty winds.” Ta.
“We have issued a number of severe weather warnings, including an Amber warning for snow and ice across parts of England and Wales.
“Significant snowfall is possible, particularly in parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England, with more than 5cm of snow possible in large areas, with 20cm to 30cm possible in high ground in north-central Wales. Accumulations of up to 30cm are possible in some parts of the country.'' Winds will pick up in parts of the Pennines, potentially blowing away piles of snow. ”
The Met Office forecast for Bradford is as follows:
Today: Frost begins to settle, with early clouds and lingering patches of fog and mist gradually clearing. The cold days continue, and the morning sunshine quickly turns cloudy, with high clouds spreading to the north. Perhaps it was a strange winter shower in the south at first. Maximum temperature 4℃.
Tonight: Partly cloudy from the southwest, with sleet and snow moving northeast by evening. Winds will pick up over the Pennines and coast towards the end of the night. The lowest temperature is -1℃.
Sunday: It was a cold Sunday with a good amount of snow accumulating on the hills in the early morning, which turned to rain from the south in the afternoon. Winds are strong and there is a risk of blizzard in the Pennines. Maximum temperature 2℃.
Freezing rain brings dangerous ice hazards
As milder air moves north, the snow could briefly turn to cold rain.
Mr Kelly added: “There is a risk of freezing rain in the Midlands and parts of northern England, particularly Wales, which increases the risk of ice and could lead to dangerous conditions in some places.” Ta.
“When supercooled raindrops hit the ground, they instantly freeze, covering everything with a layer of ice and making it very dangerous.”
National Roads Severe Weather Resilience Manager Darren Clarke said: 'If you are traveling this weekend please maintain your distance and reduce your speed.
“When ice or snow is forecast, snowplows will be working around the clock to clear roads, but it's still important to drive according to the conditions.
“Even in areas that seem normal or where the snow hasn’t taken hold, you can always encounter slippery conditions.
“Drivers should plan their trips, check their vehicles, monitor the weather forecast and prepare a snow kit of blankets, food, water and shovels.”
Melting snow brings further flood risk
As calmer air moves in after the snowfall, any remaining snow could melt fairly quickly later on Sunday, but it's unclear at this stage exactly how far north the rapid melt will reach.
This could create additional flooding risk as snowmelt flows into already saturated catchments.
Ben Lukey, the Environment Agency's flood manager, said: “A combination of rain, snow and snowmelt over the weekend is expected to result in minor river and surface water flooding in parts of England on Sunday and Monday. There is a possibility that it will come out.”
“Environment Agency teams continue to be on the ground operating flood defenses, taking measures to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting affected communities.
“We urge people to remain vigilant over the weekend, and we urge anyone traveling to be extra careful, stay away from swollen rivers and avoid driving through floodwaters as just 30cm of water is enough to move a car. We are calling on them not to do so.
“People should search for 'check flood risk', sign up for free flood alerts and stay up to date with @EnvAgency in X.”
Further on
After a brief period of milder air over the weekend, widespread cold air is expected to develop across the UK into next week.
The outlook for Bradford from Monday to Wednesday is for Monday to remain cold and sunny, with further wind and rain expected, or snow removal from the hills. Tuesday saw a few snow showers followed by sunny spells and dry spells. Wednesday, sunny but dry.
“This weekend's snow-producing system will move eastward by Monday, reestablishing a northerly flow of cold air for much of next week,” Deputy Chief Forecaster Dan Hawley said. Ta.
“This will bring further snow, particularly to the north of Scotland, but also possibly to other areas, particularly near the west coast, with a significant amount of dry, bright weather expected elsewhere.
“Temperatures will remain below normal, with the risk of widespread frost and occasional ice.
“Some areas, especially in the north, may struggle to reach freezing temperatures for several days.”