The UK is preparing for a possible 21-hour snowstorm, with early weather maps forecasting the first flurries to hit Scotland in the early hours of December 15. The snowfall is then predicted to gradually shift southwards, impacting parts of northern England.
By 9am, the most severe snowfall, as depicted by GFS model maps, will be observed in southern Scotland's Galloway Forest Park, along with the Lake District and the Pennines in northern England. Despite these charts, it is looking unlikely that Teesside will be impacted by any snow in the middle of December.
North Wales, specifically Snowdonia, is forecasted to see heavy snowfall by 3pm on 15 December. Snow showers are also anticipated for Ireland, with Dublin potentially experiencing some snowfall.
As the weather front travels down the UK, regions that dodge the snow can anticipate rainfall instead. Central and northern England are likely to endure downpours throughout the day.
Snow coverage maps for 9pm on 15 December reveal the full extent of this Arctic onslaught. After 21 hours of snow showers, snow is expected to have settled on the ground in North Wales, Northern Ireland, northern parts of England, including west and North Yorkshire, and nearly all of Scotland, reports Yorkshire Live.
BBC Weather's forecast for December 15-28 states: "There is very low confidence surrounding the second half of December, and not just because it's a long way ahead. It's also due to ongoing disturbances in the upper atmosphere and the uncertainty around their expected impacts as they trickle down to the troposphere, the layer in which our weather occurs.
"Patterns could shift, and indeed there is a tentative expectation that high pressure could become more prevalent for a while across or near the UK and Ireland. This should lead to more infrequent precipitation, so conditions could be drier than normal for a while before Christmas. High pressure alignment will dictate what happens to temperatures.
"Current indications are for them to be near or slightly above normal, but with some clearer and calmer nights there could be more frost and fog. There is a risk that high pressure could build more strongly at higher latitudes, which would bring a possibility of colder outbreaks later. On the other hand, if high pressure were to slip away the wetter conditions could return, so there is a lot yet to resolve."
The Met Office has forecast the possibility of snow in certain areas of the country during the second half of December. Their outlook for December 16-30 states: "There is a greater chance of spells of high pressure during this period, bringing more in the way of dry weather compared to the unsettled patterns we are likely to see through the first couple of weeks of December, which also increases the chances of overnight fog and frost.
"There will probably still be some spells of rain, showers, and stronger winds though, especially in the west. Hill snow is also a possibility, mainly in the north. Overall, near or slightly above average temperatures are most likely, though some colder spells are also possible, especially should any prolonged settled spells develop."