With Christmas now just over a week away, thoughts are turning to whether we might see snowfall in Greater Manchester over the festive period. Last week, the region had a good smattering of the white stuff as temperatures plummeted below zero.
Frosty conditions have continued all week, with temperatures falling as low as -8C, but it has been mainly dry across the region. The Met Office predicts that temperatures will be mild at the start of next week - but there could still be some snowy showers to come.
This Sunday could see "a transient spell of snow, potentially to low levels, especially in the north", according to the Met Office. But any snow will likely turn to rain later on in the day. Looking towards next week, deputy chief forecaster Helen Caughey, said: “It will remain unsettled next week. Strong winds could prove disruptive at times especially through the first half of the week and there is the possibility of some persistent rain for parts of the southwest.
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"Although not as cold as we are currently experiencing, we could potentially see a return of some wintery hazards at times, mainly across higher ground in the north, but there is still a lot of uncertainty in how prolonged this might be and what associated hazards it might bring."
Helen said the changeable conditions the UK is seeing right now make it harder to predict what kind of weather will we get over the Christmas weekend. She said: “The unsettled picture for next week means, that although Christmas is just a week away, it is still not possible to say with any certainty if we will have a white Christmas Day or not.”
Forecasters will be keeping a close eye on patches of 'colder air' close to the UK to see if they will have an impact on temperatures next week. A spokesperson for the Met Office told the Manchester Evening News: "Although it’s still too early to give a definitive forecast for Christmas Day, a changeable pattern looks most likely for much of the UK. Temperatures are likely to be around average for the time of year. However, colder air isn’t far away from the UK, so there’s still a lot to determine in the forecast in the coming week."
Over the weekend, Manchester Airport had to close both of its runways leaving a number of flights grounded as it cleared snow and ice from the ground. Motorists have been warned to take take care on icy roads, which are likely to be busy over the Christmas period.
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