Snow and wind return as spring warmth ends

After days of spring-like warmth that saw temperatures reach nearly 20°C in west London on March 5, the UK is bracing for a sharp return to wintry conditions. According to multiple reports, snow is expected on Thursday and Friday, accompanied by gusts of up to 60mph over the weekend. Up to 50mm of rain may fall in some regions, and daytime temperatures may not reach double figures, the Met Office said.

The Met Office has warned that certain regions will face freezing temperatures in a few days, with snowfall on higher ground expected across northern areas. Snow is expected to accumulate on hills above 200m in the North, with possible wet flurries in the South. On Thursday, bright spells are possible in the South and East, but most areas will be cloudy with rain and brisk winds, according to multiple reports. Rainfall totals could reach 30-50mm over the Lake District. A low pressure area could bring gusts of 40-50mph, up to 60mph in exposed parts of the North West. Snow is forecast across parts of the North West this week, with flurries over northern Scotland from Thursday morning extending into northern England by 9pm, the Met Office said. Snow is forecast across Manchester, Bolton and Rochdale at 3am on Saturday, continuing until 6am in parts, according to multiple reports. Overnight temperatures could drop to 0°C in some areas on Friday into Saturday. From Friday, a northwesterly wind will pull colder air from the Arctic, with temperatures falling to around three or four degrees below average, according to multiple reports. Fast-moving hail showers could develop, and brief flurries of wet snow are possible almost anywhere. Netweather.tv analysis noted that this week looks set to be dominated by mainly southerly and south-westerly winds, with wintry showers to low levels in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, though lying snow is expected to be limited only to high ground.

Weather models are offering conflicting forecasts for the extent and duration of the snow. The ECMWF model suggests snow could fall as far south as Devon, with blizzards lasting nine consecutive days and temperatures dropping to -3°C. It also indicates snow could fall at a rate of around four inches per hour in parts of Wales, and maps for March 17 show sparse pockets of snow spread more widely across the UK, with northern England and South Wales possibly seeing flurries. In contrast, the GFS model predicts two blizzards could sweep across the UK before the end of March, bringing snow to eight major cities. The GFS model shows snow and rain moving across the UK from the Atlantic on March 13, with heavy snow in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and rain in Wales and England. By midday March 13, some snow also falls in North Wales and northern England, with torrential rain in London. Snow coverage maps for March 14 show settled snow around Gloucester, north-west England, almost all of Northern Ireland, and much of Scotland. For 6pm March 15, cities including Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen could see settled snow, according to the GFS model. WXCharts forecasts that the UK is set to see snow again this month, with blizzards and temperatures of -2°C reaching as far as the south coast. Temperatures will drop as low as -2°C, coldest in central Scotland, according to WXCharts. New weather maps from the Met Office show temperatures will plunge with snow stretching as far south as Cornwall and Devon. Met Office forecasters predicted snow falling in numerous places across the UK on March 13, with up to 4mm of snowfall per hour in certain regions of Scotland. Snow will push further south on March 13 evening, reaching Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire and parts of the Midlands, according to Met Office weather maps. A yellow weather warning is in place for parts of Scotland on Wednesday, with gusts up to 80mph in exposed locations, the Met Office said. The warning is in force until 12pm GMT, with widespread gusts of 65-70mph expected. Strongest winds are forecast first across the Outer and Inner Hebrides before spreading eastwards, according to multiple reports. There is a risk of travel disruption, including ferry cancellations, flight delays, and bridge restrictions, the Met Office said. By Thursday, blustery conditions become more widespread, with gusts of 40-50mph across large parts of the UK, up to 60mph along western coasts of England and Wales, according to multiple reports. The unsettled weather is driven by a deepening area of low pressure between Scotland and Iceland, according to multiple reports. WXCharts also shows snow coming to the North East on March 14 and 15, with flurries over County Durham, Northumberland and areas around Newcastle at midnight on March 13. At 6am on March 14, snow remains in County Durham and Northumberland, but by midday it has moved away.

Looking further ahead, long-range forecasts suggest the possibility of snow even in May. According to WXCharts/ECMWF, snow could fall in May, with maps predicting snowfall stretching as far south as Derbyshire for up to 30 hours between May 5 and May 6. Scotland is expected to see the heaviest and most persistent snowfall in May, with areas around Aberdeen and the Highlands most at risk. Flurries are projected to extend into northern England, including Newcastle and the Midlands, with higher ground in Derbyshire possibly seeing settling snow. Much of southern England, including London, is expected to stay largely dry. However, meteorologists caution that forecasting snow this far ahead carries uncertainty, and the Met Office's long-range forecast makes no mention of snow. On a warmer note, on March 20, the spring equinox, parts of Britain could be warmer than Ibiza and Corfu, with highs of 21°C in the south, according to forecasts. But the warm spell around the spring equinox is likely to be short lived, making way for a return to cold weather towards the end of March, forecasters said. At the beginning of April 2025, there could be a mixture of dry conditions and wet weather in the form of rain or showers, according to the Met Office.

This wintry turn comes after one of England’s wettest winters, with multiple counties seeing record rainfall, the Met Office said. The Met Office said a trend towards wetter winters is associated with climate change.

There are several uncertainties in the forecast. BBC Weather expects temperatures to remain above average for this period, but with one or two chilly interludes. The extent of snow reaching southern England remains unclear, with some models predicting significant snow in Devon and Cornwall, while others suggest only brief wet flurries that will not settle. The duration of the cold and snowy period is also uncertain, ranging from a few days to over a week. Actual low temperatures could vary from -3°C to around 0°C. The conflicting model outputs from ECMWF, GFS, and WXCharts will only be resolved as the weather develops.