A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place across Gloucestershire this weekend. In the latest forecast, the Met Office has revealed when the white stuff should fall in Cheltenham.
The weather warning is in place from 12pm tomorrow (Saturday, January 4) until 11.59pm on Sunday. Forecasters are also expecting freezing rain to hit some parts as temperatures plunge.
The outlook for Cheltenham shows light snowfall arriving at 6pm on Saturday evening. More heavy snow is then set to fall on the town between 8pm and 11pm.
During this time, the “feels like temperature” will drop as low as -4C. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued an amber cold health alert which is in place until 12pm next Wednesday (January 8).
During the cold health alert, the UKHSA has warned that health services could be overwhelmed with demand. There may also be transport disruption due to freezing temperatures.
On the yellow snow and ice warning, the Met Office said: “Outbreaks of rain spreading progressively northeastwards later on Saturday and overnight into Sunday will likely be preceded by a spell of snow on its northern flank. Whilst there is some uncertainty, any snow in southern and eastern parts of England, especially at low levels, will probably be rather transient before turning back to rain.
“However, some significant accumulations of snow are possible across parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England in particular, at least for a time, where 5 cm or more could accumulate fairly widely, with perhaps as much as 20-30 cm over high ground of mid and north Wales and potentially 30-40 cm over parts of the Pennines. This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow.
“In addition, as milder air moves northwards, snow may turn to a spell of freezing rain for a time, again more especially across parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England, adding to the risk of ice and leading to some treacherous conditions in places. A fairly rapid thaw of lying snow is possible later on Sunday, although exactly how far north the rapid thaw will reach remains uncertain at this stage.”
(Image: Met Office)
Disruption expected during snow warning
The Met Office said: “Heavy snow, and some freezing rain in places, may cause some disruption over the weekend.” The forecaster has outlined what to expect during the warning:
- There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
- There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off
- A small chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
- There is a chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel