Northern Britain looks set for a battering of snow (Image: Getty/WX Charts)
Britain looks set to be battered by “lasting 39 hours” in the days before , the latest show.
Snow looks set to fall from 9am on December 21 in parts of the Scottish Highlands, going on to fall somewhere in the UK until 12am on December 23 – a total of 39 hours.
While western Scotland looks as if it will see the heaviest snow, other parts of the UK will see a dusting, according to maps generated by WX Charts in a single run on Wednesday (December 18).
Snow will spread to Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and pockets of northern England by 9pm on December 21, while the heaviest is set to be over the Scottish Highlands, with some 2cm falling per hour.
It remains in Scotland but largely around the country’s western coast and in the Grampians at 3pm on December 22. Elsewhere, the maps show a sprinkling of snow over Cumbria, Lancashire and much of Wales.
This map shows snow over the Scottish Highlands at 9am on December 21 (Image: WX Charts)
This map shows snow spreading further across Scotland and into the North of England at 9pm the same (Image: WX Charts)
But by 12am on December 23, snow will clear from almost everywhere, with just a pocket in the far north of Scotland, mid-Wales and in the Midlands around Birmingham, where some 2cm might fall per hour, if the maps prove accurate this far out.
The warned last week, however, that single forecasting runs aren’t reliable enough to work out a detailed forecast and are only part of the wide range of details experts look at to determine their forecasts.
spokesperson, Oliver Claydon, told Express.co.uk: “As an area of low pressure passes to the north of the UK and clears eastwards a strong north-westerly will develop, this allows cooler air in from the northwest and it’ll feel even colder with the windchill.
“There is some snow in our forecast for Sunday, a few centimetres could accumulate over the hills in the north from wintry showers. There is no indication of 39 hours of non-stop snow.
“Elsewhere a mix of rain, sleet and soft hail is possible. As ever with snow the margins are finely balanced so further detail will become clear over the next couple of days as we approach the weekend.”
Netweather’s Senior Forecaster, Nick Finnis, said Sunday looks to be the coldest day before Christmas, with a cold and strong north-westerly wind, with the mercury possibly dipping low enough for snow.
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This map shows snow retreating from some areas but still in parts of the UK at 3pm on December 22 (Image: WX Charts)
This map shows snow in the north of Scotland but clearing from most places at 12am on December 23 (Image: WX Charts)
He said it may be cold enough for sleet and snow in showers, but things will turn milder in time for Christmas.
Mr Finnis said temperatures would be low enough for sleet or snow to fall on low ground, but it is likely the mercury will be too high for snow to settle away from high ground in the north and west.
Sunday will see a widespread frost while Monday is set to be drier but still on the chilly side, according to Netweather.
Monday night could be cold and frosty too, before milder air swings in off the Atlantic through to Christmas Eve, with the possibility of patchy rain.
Christmas day looks mild but dry as a result of high pressure but it is too far out to say if it will be a sunny or cloudy day. Mr Finnis said it looks as if it will be dry though.
The ‘s outlook for Friday to Sunday is for changeable weather, with wind and further spells of rain.
Its long range forecast (December 22-31) said the period starts off “very unsettled, with blustery showers, a mix of rain, sleet, some hill snow and soft hail” driven in by a strong to gale force northwesterly wind.
Southeastern areas could be most sheltered but widely it will feel very cold, but gradually turn more settled through the following week.