It might feel cold outside already but the mercury is set to fall still lower. Met Office experts are warning that temperatures are likely to drop ahead of the weekend.
Thanks to a northerly airmass dropping temperatures it has seen the meteorologists introducing snow to the forecast next week. The experts say the weather could remain "relatively benign" through to the end of the week and into the weekend driven by high pressure.
They say much of the UK will be under cloud cover, with the best of any sunny spells in the west. There will be some scattered showers, with snow falling over the tops of the Scottish mountains.
However the area of high pressure currently located over Scotland will move away to the West at the start of next week, allowing a northerly airflow to sweep across the UK. The introduction of an arctic maritime airmass will bring snow showers to Scotland, Northern Ireland and along the East coast of England from Monday.
The snow showers will predominantly impact northern and eastern areas. However it will be cold across the UK, with widespread freezing conditions overnight, they are warning.
But it could be shortlived. The Met Offices says although there is uncertainty in the forecast by the middle of next week, the "most likely scenario is for the cold spell to persist", but there is a lower probability that milder air will approach from the South West.
It adds: "There could be a spell of snow for a time before turning to rain if the milder air moves in. Whether this occurs, and how far north across the UK this milder air progresses is still uncertain and details will be determined with a shorter lead time."
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Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Chris Almond, said: “Although we’ve moved into meteorological Spring there will be a distinctly wintry feel to our weather next week. Very cold air will spread across the UK bringing snow showers even to sea level in the north on Monday and these snow showers could spread further south on Tuesday.
“With freezing overnight temperatures and the risk of ice it is likely weather warnings will be issued for Monday and Tuesday once the detail of potential impacts becomes clearer, so keep an eye on the Met Office forecast.”
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a Level 2 Cold Weather Alert for the whole of England and is likely to be reviewed and extended in the coming days. Get advice for keeping your home warm, staying safe in snow, looking after your pets in cold weather and more as part of WeatherReady.
