AccuWeather meteorologists say that a sneaky winter storm will affect southern England with accumulating snow into midweek and could bring enough snow to make for slippery roads and sidewalks, especially over the countryside.
The storm, which was located several hundred kilometers to the southwest of Ireland Tuesday afternoon, will race eastward across the North Atlantic and encounter cold air wedged over the United Kingdom, the North Sea and northwestern Europe from Tuesday night to Wednesday.
The northern part of the storm will graze southern England, forecasters say, where the air will be just cold enough to allow a period of snow.
“The London area can expect 3-7 centimeters (1-3 inches) of snow from the quick-hitting storm into Wednesday, mainly on grassy, non-paved surfaces,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said. “However, some areas farther to the west in southern England can pick up double or triple that amount, especially over the higher ground.”
Airline delays are likely primarily due to deicing operations and poor visibility, especially with departures from London’s Heathrow International Airport from Tuesday night to Wednesday.
Road conditions around London late Tuesday night into early Wednesday will range from wet to slushy. Outside the city, roads may become covered with snow, especially to the west.
A larger storm will swing across the North Atlantic late this week, but unlike the first storm at midweek, the second storm will draw milder air across southern England with rain, drizzle and fog episodes. Snow is most likely across Northern Ireland, Scotland and the northern part of England where cold air lingers.
The winter seems to be playing a bit of catch-up in southern England. Prior to the storm at midweek, London had only picked up about 1 centimeter of snow (0.4 of an inch) so far this winter, all of which fell on Dec. 11.
“London averages 10 snow days from Nov. 1 to March 31, Roys said. “Based on historical average, London sees two days in March with snow.”
February brought unusual warmth across southern England, with temperatures for the month of 2.5 C (4.5 F) above the historical average of 7.1 C (44.8 F). The warmest day of the month was Feb. 15, when temperatures hit 15.7 C (60 F).
Temperatures have trended slightly below the historical average since the weekend.
“Temperatures will bottom out Tuesday night to Wednesday morning in southern England with the storm and its snow,” Roys said. “Temperatures will dip to near the freezing mark Wednesday morning in London but will dip in the minus 4 C to minus 1 C (25-30 F) range west and northwest of the city.” The lower temperatures in these areas will translate to more slippery conditions and more snowfall.
Produced in association with AccuWeather
