Snow is expected in several parts of the UK later this month (Image: Getty)
Weather maps show a huge chunk of the UK being covered in snow in the next couple of weeks, with 59 counties being hit over two days. February has been off to a cold and blustery start for many parts of the UK, with many regions experiencing temperatures well below zero. This follows an unsettled end to January when rain and stormy conditions battered parts of the country.
Maps from forecaster WXCharts show the huge chunk of Britain that will be covered with snow on Monday, February 16. It comes as the Met Office has warned of snow in various parts of the country throughout February. WXCharts show a white sheet completely covering Scotland and stretching south, as far down as Lincolnshire. W
hile this is the scenario shown on the current weather maps, the situation could change, and more or less snow could fall. This is because snow tends to be hard to predict, as exact conditions such as temperature and air moisture level determine whether we see snowfall or not. Snow tends to fall on higher land, and the Met Office has predicted the likelihood of snow in hilly areas throughout February.
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Sunday, February 15 will be a snowy days for many parts of the UK (Image: WXCharts)
The counties that are predicted to be blanketed in snow on Monday, February 16, are:
- Northumberland
- Cumbria
- Durham
- Tyne & Wear
- North Yorkshire
- Lancashire
- Merseyside
- West Yorkshire
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- Cheshire
- Derbyshire
- Lincolnshire
- Nottinghamshire
Scotland
- Aberdeenshire
- Angus
- Argyll
- Ayrshire
- Banffshire
- Berwickshire
- Buteshire
- Caithness
- Clackmannanshire
- Dumfriesshire
- Dunbartonshire
- East Lothian
- Fife
- Inverness-shire
- Kincardineshire
- Kinross-shire
- Kirkcudbrightshire
- Lanarkshire
- Midlothian
- Moray
- Nairnshire
- Orkney
- Peebleshire
- Perthshire
- Renfrewshire
- Ross and Cromarty
- Roxburghshire
- Selkirkshire
- Shetland
- Stirlingshire
- Sutherland
- West Lothian
- Wigtownshire
Meanwhile, WXCharts shows snow arriving in Wales and Northern Ireland the evening before, but this will likely dissipate by the following day, according to the current forecast. The affected counties on Sunday, February 15, are:
- Camarthenshire
- Powys
- Caredigion
- Gwynedd
- Denbighshire
- Wrexham
- Conway
- Isle of Anglesey
Northern Ireland
- Antrim
- Derry
- Tyrone
- Fermanagh
Temperatures will dip well below freezing in certain parts of the country (Image: WXCharts)
Some patches of snow look likely over the following week, but most of the country will most likely experience rain rather than snowfall.
When it comes to temperatures, it could get as cold as -5C in parts of Scotland. England, Wales and Northern Ireland won’t be as cold, but people will still feel the chill, with minimum temperatures of around 0C and 1C.
Wind could also be relatively strong on the day, with speeds of up to 65mph in some places, based on current projections. When it comes to the middle of February, the Met Office says that snow is possible in Scotland and parts of Northern England, as we see in WXCharts’ current maps.
Meanwhile, it says temperatures should be close to normal during this period, with the coldest being felt in the northern parts of the country. In the second half of the month, the Met Office expects more changeable conditions.
February 16 could also be a pretty blustery day (Image: WXCharts)
“Low pressure systems will probably dominate, meaning showers or longer spells of rain, heavy at times, for much of the UK and some hill snow in the north,” it says. “Periods of strong wind are also possible, especially around coasts. Temperatures will likely be close to average or slightly above overall.”
The next couple of weeks are looking rough in terms of UK weather. In fact, snow could hit hilly areas as early as tonight and continue tomorrow and throughout the weekend.
The Met Office’s weekend forecast reads: “Wintry hazards continuing for the northern half of the UK, with outbreaks of rain in the south. Some drier spells on Saturday, but remaining mostly cloudy into the weekend.”
From Monday, February 9 onwards, many Brits should be prepared for cloudy days and rain, which may get heavy at times. “Rainfall amounts will probably be highest in parts of the west, including across areas already sensitive to flooding,” the forecast adds.
