The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy snow starting at 3pm on Saturday for Scotland, lasting 12 hours until 3pm on Sunday. The forecaster is warning areas in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to brace for strong winds and possible power cuts. Snow and blizzard conditions may disrupt travel for parts of northwest Scotland in association with Storm Dave.
During the evening, snow may turn heavier and as winds increase, blizzard conditions with drifting and blowing snow are likely to lead to very poor visibility across the hills and mountains of the northwest of Scotland. Accumulating snow on roads will mostly be above 200 m elevation, where 5-10 cm is possible and there is a small chance of 10-20 cm. Energy supplier British Gas has a list of advice for homes to prepare for heavy snow.
British Gas advises improving insulation, including weatherproofing gaps around windows and doors, and protecting pipes by putting insulating tubing on any exposed pipes for boiler, heating, or water supply. For emergency preparedness, British Gas advises storing extra wood for a log burner indoors, not putting electric heaters near furniture, and checking smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Households should also check where their stopcock is in case they need to turn off the water supply due to a burst pipe.
British Gas advises keeping sleeping bags, blankets, and warm coats handy in case of heating loss. The company recommends having at least three days’ worth of food and essentials stored, including medicines, drinking water, non-perishable food, snacks, extra blankets, a torch, batteries, and a phone charger. Car owners are advised to have brakes, heater, tyres, and windscreen wipers checked to ensure they're in good working order before winter.