The first weekend of 2025 could be one disrupted by snow, according to a new warning from the Met Office.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow for the vast majority of the UK which is currently in place from midday on Saturday (4 January) until 9am on Monday (6 January).
The warning is clear that the warning area and times will likely change in the coming days but that northern England is one of the areas most at risk of disruption. Preston and the wider Lancashire area are all covered by the warning.
A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “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. If milder air is able to spread more bodily northwards, any snow in southern parts of the warning area may be relatively short-lived before turning to rain.
“Given the uncertainties, it is quite likely this warning area and start/end times will be refined over the coming days as confidence increases in areas most likely to be impacted.”
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