22/11/2017 Weather for the Week Ahead

Snow, there I said it. There's no going back now.

More of us will have seen our first snow of the season

by the weekend even if it is

in a passing wintry shower.

We have mild air across us now

but by the end of the week that will have gone.

Last to clear from southernmost parts of the UK.

Tries to cling on even into Friday.

But by Saturday it will have been

pushed south away from us

as the cold air comes back, coldest air of the season so far

and a strong wind as well with those wintry showers.

More about what we can expect coming up.

Right now it's the mild air across us and we're more concerned

in the short term about rain and strengthening winds

during Wednesday as we see these

frontal systems coming into the UK.

Looks like the heaviest rain will be effecting parts of north Wales,

north-west England and into southern Scotland.

Maybe up to 100mm of rain and gales developing into England and Wales,

gusts widely around 50mph late in the day and into Wednesday night.

It's the sort of day when you head out in the morning it may seem

fine but there could be some travel disruption as you come home.

Parts of eastern England will stay dry.

Even see some sunshine and be very mild but even here it becomes very

windy and stays that way Wednesday

night and into Thursday morning.

During Thursday winds ease but look at this, snow.

Northern Scotland, the colder air

coming back in, even to low

levels we could see accumulating snow on Thursday morning.

Much more coming down on hills

so keep up to date with that part of the forecast.

Generally turning drier on Thursday, even some sunshine around,

still very mild to the south and south-east.

Colder air is beginning to filter in but there's

a fly in the ointment that stops it reaching southern

parts on Friday, this area of low pressure.

But a lot of uncertainty about

where the rain from this will be.

It could look like this on Friday,

it may be further south, this rain,

but parts of southern England run the risk of seeing heavy rain

Friday into Friday night before that pulls away.

Scotland and Northern Ireland will see sunny spells,

maybe a few showers.

Once this latest system is gone it's then that the cold air completes

its journey southwards across the UK at the start of the weekend.

The cold feel enhanced by a strong wind.

There will be some good sunny

spells around but there will be these

wintry showers, especially northern and western parts of the UK.

Wintry showers, what does that mean?

There may be some rain but we're more likely to get sleet,

hail or snow out of these showers as they move on through.

A similar picture into Sunday,

showers may ease in the west later in the day.

Over the weekend more of us will see our first snow of the season.

For many, non-disruptive,

just a passing wintry shower.

But into the hills and mountains, we are

going to some accumulating snow in places as these showers move

through, particularly if one comes after another, after another.

We're starting with the cold air in place

but we're going to try to bring

a less cold Atlantic weather system

in but again it's a cold air that

could bring a risk of some snow.

Although Atlantic weather systems

may try to come in next week

it looks like overall the cold air will always come back once

they've moved through keeping a mainly cold theme.

Brief milder interludes with these Atlantic weather systems.

Bringing some rain perhaps but also a risk of snow as they move in to

cold air and then as they pull away with the cold air following behind.

That's how next week is shaping up.

Winter is coming although apparently it happens every year

so it may not be breaking news.