Boot’s Folly, a Grade II listed 45-foot-high stone tower located near the Strines Reservoir in the Peak District, overlooking Bradfield Dale near Sheffield, England, surrounded by snow covered fields. Storm Goretti continues to batter the UK with tens of thousands of Britons across the country facing widespread power cuts, travel disruption and school closures. Picture date: Friday January 9, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Richard McCarthy/PA Wire (Image: PA)
Snow is set to blanket parts of Britain in the coming days, the Met Office has confirmed.
Weather experts have characterised the atmospheric conditions as a fierce “battleground” where Atlantic storms surging eastwards from the west will collide with persistent high pressure dominating the north and northeast. As a consequence of this meteorological clash, the Met Office anticipates snowfall will occur, with the most substantial accumulations expected across northern England and Scotland.
Regarding the timeframe from Monday January 26 to Wednesday February 4, the Met Office website states: “These may be heavy and persistent, especially in the south and west, with the best of any drier interludes in the far north and northeast. Whilst mild conditions are expected to encroach into the south and southwest at times, it is likely to turn somewhat colder through this period, bringing the risk of some snow, most likely across hills in Scotland and northern England, but perhaps extending to other areas with time.”
This comparable pattern is anticipated to persist as Atlantic frontal systems endeavour to advance eastwards periodically, which meteorologists believe could deliver snow into early February as well.
Temperatures are gradually dropping after several mild days, during which readings surpassed 12C in Gogerddan, west Wales and in Bude, Cornwall. The mercury also reached 10.6C in Morecambe, Lancashire, on Tuesday.
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However, temperatures will plummet to feel as bitter as -8C next week, according to forecasters at Metdesk. Scotland will experience the harshest conditions on Wednesday and Thursday, creating ideal circumstances for snowfall.
Thursday appears the most probable day for snow, with widespread coverage expected and flurries potentially reaching as far south as parts of the Midlands.
“A battleground looks to play out in the days ahead across the UK between a large high pressure system extending west from Siberia and a queue of lows coming in from the west, thanks to an increasingly powerful jet stream moving east out of the Eastern Seaboard of North America across the North Atlantic and on into western Europe,” Nick Finnis, meteorologist with Netweather, wrote on the service’s blog.
Dominic Biggs plays in the snow near Saltergate in the North York Moors National Park, as warnings for snow, ice, wind and rain remain in force for the weekend as the UK braces for further wintry weather following Storm Goretti. Picture date: Sunday January 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire (Image: PA)
“This may allow cold air to flood west over the North Sea from Scandinavia, initially the coldest of this air flooding across the north and northeast on Sunday, but perhaps cold air flooding across all areas on Monday, perhaps cold enough for snow too.”
Meanwhile, the remainder of this week will bring wet conditions for most areas, particularly central and eastern Scotland.
An amber weather warning remains in effect for Grampian, and Central, Tayside and Fife today until 6pm as up to 150mm (six inches) of rainfall could accumulate.
Runners and walkers out in the misty morning weather in Clifton, Bristol. January 19 2026. // Brits can expect a changeable few days, often cloudy with some brighter spells but also outbreaks of rain. The weather will turn windier in the north later in the week, where it could turn colder. Photo released 19/01/2026 (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)
The Met Office warned that homes and businesses are likely to face flooding, resulting in damage to some properties, whilst fast-flowing or deep floodwater is probable, creating danger to life.
Delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are also expected, forecasters believe.
Other areas of the UK, including Cumbria, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, will also experience wet conditions today. Thundery weather could develop across north Wales this afternoon.