A MET Office map has revealed where up to 11 inches of snow will fall in a matter of days.
A three-day yellow warning for snow has been issued for almost all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland this weekend.
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A car is pictured crashed and abandoned on the B6278 near Stanhope this morningCredit: Jordan Crosby
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Snow settled on the ground in the west end of AberdeenCredit: PA
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Brits are warned to get their gloves out as a snow warning covers most of the UK on the weekendCredit: The Met office
The forecaster warned that rural communities could become cut off.
Schools could potentially be closed and there is a chance of power cuts and road closures as well as delays and cancellations to flights and trains.
A yellow warning is in place from noon on Saturday until 9am on Monday and covers all regions of England other than the South West, the majority of Wales and parts of southern Scotland.
About 5cm of snow is expected widely across the Midlands, Wales and northern England with as much as 20-30cm over high ground in Wales and/or the Pennines.
Thursday will otherwise be fine and dry for most although the temperature will feel much colder than the true mercury figure.
The chill will continue into Friday.
With the end of the week comes the threat of overnight ice extending south as far as the South West of England.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “At the moment we’ve issued a very large snow warning for Saturday until Monday but it doesn’t mean that everywhere within that warning could see snow, it’s just a heads-up there could be some impacts.”
Marco Petagna, senior Met Office meteorologist, said: “Most roads will be treated, there’s a chance on untreated roads that ice will still be an issue.
“On Friday I think we will see further snow and ice warnings issued.”