Christmas is just one week away and while Scotland has seen a decent amount of snow this winter, many are wondering if it will appear once again on December 25. There have been numerous contradicting forecasts in the lead up to the big day, with some anticipating snow bombs, while others report that it has been too soon to tell.
Now, the Met Office has given its latest verdict using its most up-to-date data – and it’s not looking good for those hoping for a White Christmas. According to the national forecaster, those hoping to see snow on December 25 will be left “disappointed”.
Not only is there no snow forecast so far for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, it looks like things are shaping up to be a whole lot less wintry than expected. Much of the UK is set to see more settled conditions and milder temperatures, thanks to an area of high pressure that will move in from Christmas Eve.
However, parts of Scotland will be an exception to this prediction, with such areas set to see more miserable festive conditions.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Harris said: “Current indications are that more settled conditions are likely to develop from Christmas Eve onwards, with the majority of the UK coming under the influence of high pressure. The exception however may be northwest Scotland where there is a reasonable chance of further wind and rain.
For Christmas Day, these conditions are likely to remain the same, with more rain possible in the north. Dan continued: “Christmas Day itself is likely to be settled, often cloudy, and dry with light winds for the majority. Once again, the far north may be windier, with a small chance of further rain across northwest Scotland.”
“Temperatures are expected to be widely mild, so if you are hoping for a blanket of snow across the country on Christmas Day, I’m sorry to say you will be disappointed. We’ll be giving more details as we get closer to the day, so do keep up-to-date with the latest Met Office forecast.”
It comes as Scotland braces for a windy weekend with fresh weather warnings predicting 80mph gales, likely to cause disruption to those out and about in the lead up to Christmas.
Mr Harris reported: “A deep area of low pressure is expected to pass to the north of Scotland on Saturday, heading towards southwest Norway. Yellow wind warnings are currently in place across northern and western parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, where there’s a small chance of gusts in excess of 80mph across parts of the Hebrides, Orkney, and parts of the north and west Scottish mainland coast.
“Delays or cancellations to sea and air transport are possible given these winds, amongst other impacts. More generally however, gusts of 60-75mph are likely and when coinciding with daytime travel in the busier pre-Christmas period, may cause some travel disruption.”
Rain will also move in on Saturday, with the highest accumulations in the northwest, followed by frequent heavy showers which will turn increasingly wintry on higher ground later. A covering of snow is possible for some hills and mountains as far south as the Peak District by Sunday morning.
Sunday brings a mix of sunny intervals, blustery showers, and perhaps longer spells of rain in the north. Showers will be most frequent and heavy in northern and western areas, falling as a wintry mix of sleet and snow for some. Gales are expected in exposed parts of the north and west, with windchill making temperatures feel rather cool.
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