UK braces for snow as cold weather takes a grip

With temperatures dropping below freezing across much of the nation this week, UK weather forecasters are predicting snow and wintry showers.

Over the weekend, temperatures across much of the nation fell below freezing, with Tuesday’s low of -8C (17.6F) predicted. In Shap, Cumbria, the lowest recorded temperature this autumn was -7.7C.

Snowfall is predicted, but there is “a lot more uncertainty than normal,” according to BBC Weather. Many parts of the country will experience frost on Tuesday night, with temperatures in the north of England and rural Scotland likely to drop as low as -8C. Snow fell last week on higher ground in Scotland and northern England, normal for late November.

As the temperatures drop starting on Thursday, there is now a chance of snowfall further south. The week will start off with cloudy and damp conditions, but it will eventually brighten up before becoming gloomy on Thursday and Friday. Because the UK is an island, the temperature is usually not quite cold enough to guarantee snowfall, and there is always a battle going on between warmer tropical air and colder Arctic air. This makes forecasting snowfall in the UK in December extremely difficult.