Weather maps show the UK could see 96 hours of snowfall from January 3-7, 2026, as snow sweeps in from the East. The Met Office forecasts wintry hazards with up to 13cm of snow expected in parts of Scotland
Britain is set for 96 hours of snow and freezing conditions to start the new year, according to the latest weather forecasts.
New weather maps from WX Charts reveal snow sweeping across from the East, with the Met Office warning of “wintry hazards” in the opening weeks of January.
The maps show patches of snowfall hitting Scotland and England’s North East coast from midnight on Saturday, January 3, with additional bursts of wintry showers continuing until next Wednesday.
It comes amid a sharp drop in temperatures over Christmas that will last into the New Year, marking a departure from what has largely been a mild December in many parts of the country.
The Met Office’s long-range forecast covering Wednesday, December 31 through to Friday, January 9 warns that frigid, deep air masses of British Isles will bring wintry conditions, with temperatures expected to plummet below the seasonal average, reports the Express.
WX Charts data suggests that Newcastle, Leeds and Norwich, will be among the cities to see snow on Saturday, January 3, with the most intense flurries expected across the North East, where they could reach 20mm per hour.
Snow is forecast to persist into the following week, with the Midlands set to bear the brunt of the wintry blast. Charts from WX Charts indicate up to 20mm falling hourly across the region by 6pm on Monday, January 5.
Snowy conditions will linger into Tuesday, with WX Charts predicting flurries across eastern England.
The forecasts show precipitation rates of up to 20mm per hour hitting Colchester and Ipswich by noon on Tuesday, January 6.
The Met Office forecast for this period meanwhile warns of “low pressure to the east” alongside low pressure systems moving across the North Sea, which could deliver wintry conditions to Britain. The forecast reads: “With cold air close to the UK, some wintry hazards are possible in places.”
“Temperatures will probably be below average for this period overall and so wintry hazards remain a possibility in places.”
Looking ahead from Saturday, January 10 through to Saturday, January 24, the Met Office is warning of an “enhanced risk of wintry hazards affecting some parts”, though temperatures are likely to climb back above average.
The forecast adds: “Temperatures will likely recover a little to be near to or slightly below average during this time, but an enhanced risk of wintry hazards affecting some parts at times remains. Later in the period, a transition to more widely changeable or unsettled conditions is possible, with a corresponding shift to near or slightly above average temperatures.”
