The entire Yorkshire region – border to border – is braced for a heavy snowfall over the weekend, as the Met Office has issued an extensive two-day yellow weather warning. The alert for snow and ice is set to be in place from 12pm on Saturday, January 4 until 11.59pm on Sunday, January 5.
Forecasters predict that the area could see at least 5cm of snow. Following the snowfall, a spell of freezing rain is expected, which will “add to the risk of ice” and could lead to “treacherous conditions in places” according to the Met Office.
New weather maps from WXCharts indicate that the snowfall is expected to be widespread, affecting parts of Northern Ireland and northern England as well. The maps show areas shaded in purple, highlighting significant snow depth and accumulation.
Snow is anticipated to begin in Yorkshire at around 6pm on Saturday, with the intensity increasing by 9pm. However, experts have indicated that “a fairly rapid thaw of lying snow” may occur on Sunday evening.
The current forecast for Sunday night into Monday suggests rain across areas of West and South Yorkshire from midnight until 6am on Monday, January 6, but the weather is expected to brighten up starting Tuesday, January 7.
The Met Office has also stated that up to 30cm of snow could accumulate in some areas. They added: “Outbreaks of rain spreading northeastwards later on Saturday and overnight into Sunday will likely be preceded by a spell of snow on its northern flank.”
“Whilst there is a fair bit of uncertainty as to how far north this may spread, and how long any snow will last, significant accumulations of snow are possible, especially (but not exclusively) on hills. Currently, parts of the Midlands, Wales and northern England are most at risk of disruption, where 5cm or more could accumulate fairly widely, with perhaps as much as 20-30 cm over high ground of Wales and/or the Pennines.”
“This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow. In addition, as milder air attempts to move northwards into southern and central areas, snow may turn to a spell of freezing rain for a time, adding to the risk of ice.”
A weather map showing predicted snowfall in Birmingham at midnight on Sunday, January 5