05/01/2026
Happy New Year.
We normally don’t proactively push out Low Impact Yellow Warnings; however this is an opportunity to share the forecast for the rest of the week and raise awareness of potential travel issues across higher routes tomorrow morning.
Yellow Warning – Snow and Ice Tuesday 6th January 00:00 until 11:00 - UK weather warnings - Met Office
Update from the Met Office -
Today/tonight: Fine and dry today, lying snow from yesterday gradually thawing if exposed to any direct sunlight but lingering if well-shaded. Temperatures struggling to get just above freezing with some inland valleys probably failing. A little above freezing along the west coast. Another widespread moderate to severe frost tonight with -5C to -10C again on the cards for inland areas, zero to -4C more typical along the coast. However, after midnight, increasing cloud will start to edge in from the west as temperatures recover slightly, especially near the coast, with perhaps a little light sleet/snow developing over parts of Cumbria towards the end of the night.
Tuesday/Wednesday : This is the start of the change to a somewhat less cold, more unsettled pattern – a cloudier day in general across the Northwest with temperatures eventually climbing into low single figures C in most low lying areas. Further sleet or snow for a while across Cumbria (mainly snow inland) and perhaps a little sleet/snow possible in inland parts of Lancashire/GM/Cheshire , all this then petering out for a time before further intermittent rain develops later in the day, followed by a southwards-moving bad of more organised rain in the evening, the rain falling as sleet/snow above around 500m i.e. only on the very highest roads. Once the rain clears through so the cloud should break and despite a rather brisk NW’ly breeze, air/surface temperatures inland could drop close to zero with some potentially icy conditions inland and at higher levels by first thing Wednesday. Wednesday looks relatively straightforward – dry, bright and still rather cold with the breezy start giving way to calmer conditions by the afternoon. Overnight a band of intermittent and mostly light rain will edge in from the west which may give a little sleet/snow in places, mainly at higher levels.
Thursday/Friday: Thursday currently looks a reasonable day after a cold start with a risk of ice. Then comes the main uncertainty this coming week. There is currently a strong signal for a deepening low pressure centre to track E or ENE’wards across southern half of the UK during Thursday night into Friday. The track of the low will be critical with the potential for a multi-hazard event (heavy rain, very strong winds and possible snow) unfolding across the southern two thirds of the UK, or maybe not, depending upon whose forecast output you believe. There's all to play for now and a stronger consensus amongst the forecast data is required before warnings can be issued so more to come on this one.
Please do keep an eye out for further weather warnings as the weather remains cold but with some rain/sleet/snow falling.
