Enjoy today’s sunshine while it lasts
Greater Manchester is basking in glorious, long-awaited sunshine on a chilly Valentine’s Day. Clear sunny skies have dominated so far today (February 14), on what one Met Office forecaster described as ‘the best day we’ve seen for some time’.
But clouds are expected to gather as the afternoon goes on, before wintry conditions return later tonight. A yellow weather warning for snow and ice comes into force at 9pm tonight and runs until 10am on Sunday morning.
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The Met Office says ‘snow, heavy at times, may cause some disruption to travel, especially over high ground during Saturday night and Sunday morning’. The warning covers north and east Manchester, plus Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, and parts of Salford and Wigan boroughs.
Met Office maps show a band of rain, sleet and snow moving eastwards later tonight, first hitting Greater Manchester from around 10pm and covering the region within an hour. Maps from the Met Office suggest this will first land as rain and sleet, turning to snow by 11pm.
Thicker snow is expected in the early hours of the morning. At 1am, thicker snow is forecast around Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside, while sleet and rain hits Wigan.
Wetter weather could hit Manchester, Salford, Trafford and Wigan from around 2.30am, with snow lingering on areas of higher ground after 3am. Rain should begin to clear at around the same time, before wintry conditions shift from the region by 5am.
A mostly dry morning is forecast in Greater Manchester on Sunday, but a band of heavy rain is expected to hit the region from 11.30am, moving eastwards until it clears the area by 1.30pm. Further spells of light rain and showers are forecast as the afternoon and evening goes on.