A Met Office weather map shows the exact time snow is likely to hit Greater Manchester tonight.
Large parts of the UK will see heavy snow and freezing rain this weekend amid two amber weather warnings. A Met Office spokesperson confirmed temperatures reached a low -8.6C in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire overnight.
And the freezing conditions were expected to continue for most of Saturday, with most places ranging from 2-5C, with highs of 7C in south-west England An amber warning for snow and rare freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and Liverpool and Manchester, is in place from 6pm on Saturday to noon on Sunday, the Met Office said.
The second warning for snow, covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District, has been issued from 9pm on Saturday to midnight on Sunday. Both of the warning areas can expect to see 3cm to 7cm of snowfall widely, while snow may mix with rain at times in lower-lying areas, the forecaster said.
A Met Office weather map shows a band of snow and hail making its way across Wales on Saturday evening before the first flurries hit the south of Greater Manchester at 8pm. By 8.15pm snow is forecast for the higher ground around Stockport, Tameside and Oldham, before the main band of snow and hail arrives around 8.30pm.
The Met Office forecast at 10pm, with grey and white indicating snow and orange indicating hail
Forecasters predict it will snow almost continuously in Greater Manchester until 9am on Sunday when a band of rain begins to move in from the south.
Meanwhile three separate yellow weather warnings for snow and ice will be in force for most areas of the UK, covering different periods of time until Monday afternoon. National Highways warned a ‘spell of disruptive snow’ would spread across southern and central parts of the road network on Saturday night.
The Met Office forecast for 3am on Sunday
Drivers were warned up to 25cm of snow could hit parts of the network including the A66 Old Spittal, A628 Woodhead Pass and M62 at Windy Hill. Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said some ‘significant accumulations’ of snow are possible in parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England, while strong winds could lead to snow drifts.
He added: “There is a risk of freezing rain across parts of the Midlands and northern England, but especially Wales, adding to the risk of ice and leading to some treacherous conditions in places. As the super-cooled rain droplets hit the surface they instantly freeze, covering everything in a layer of ice, making it extremely dangerous.”
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) cold weather health alerts for all of England remain in place ahead of a week of low temperatures. Amber alerts were issued on Thursday and will run until January 8, meaning a rise in deaths is likely, the agency said.
The forecast for 7am on Sunday morning showing heavy snowfall across Manchester
Milder air will briefly cover some southern areas during the weekend before a new northerly flow allows colder conditions to return across the UK next week, the Met Office said. Deputy chief forecaster Dan Holley said temperatures would remain below average with some areas struggling to get above freezing for several days.
Further weather warnings could be issued for the start of next week.