Brits are set to wake up to a frosty start on Tuesday before an Arctic blast could bring a -7C freeze and up to 30 inches of snow by early February.
The Met Office is predicting a cloudy week and some rain for the North West but for most part the dry weather is likely to continue.
It will remain cold with temperatures close to zero but weather maps for the start of February show a much icier picture where the mercury could plunge as low as -7C.
Maps from WXCharts show the cold weather sweeping in from the north west, leaving much of the country with sub zero temperatures around February 6 and 7.
Snow is also on the cards with a covering in the north west of England but in the Highlands of Scotland could get up to 75cm (about 30 inches).
But looking at this week, Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin predicts a cloudy and gloomy few days.
"Sunshine in short supply for most of us for the next couple of days, lots and lots of cloud around, certainly on the cold side around England and Wales," he said.
"Not especially cold overnight where we have breaks in the cloud we could have some pockets of frost. There will be at times some drizzly rain over the Highlands the odd shower over the northern isles but for most it will be dry.
"It is going to be cold despite that cloud keeping the temperatures up a little bit, we could still get close to freezing in towns and cities and certainly in breaks in the cloud there will be pockets of frost but not quite so cold in western Scotland where there will be a bit of breeze and some patchy rain."
He summed up the outlook as looking "dry but drab" where the warmer temperatures will be in Scotland and could get up to 12C but in England the best people can hope for is 5C.
It is a similar story on Wednesday until night time when there is expected to be rain and strong winds for the north west of the UK.
Mr Deakin added: "Some angrier looking weather fronts bringing some heavy rain and some strong winds too and those winds really picking up on Wednesday night.
"Ahead of that temperatures may be ticking up a little bit, might be a bit brighter, temperatures closer to average but still feeling cold for most of England and Wales. Also feeling cold with the winds picking in the North West."
UK forecast for the next 5 days
This Evening and Tonight:
Southern areas mostly cloudy and dry, just the odd clearer spell; cold nevertheless, temperatures close to zero in some spots, perhaps the odd mist patch. Further north, some clear spells in northeastern areas but patchy rain in northern Scotland.
Tuesday:
Southern areas mostly grey and cold again, perhaps odd brighter spells. Northern Ireland, eastern Scotland and northeast England seeing some bright weather but occasional rain continuing in northern Scotland.
Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:
Changeable; largely dry for most, with rain predominantly affecting western coasts and hills, especially the Highlands and Islands. Breezy, with risk of gales in the far north at times. Mild.
