Met Office snow forecast shows where heavy snow is expected this week

Met Office maps indicate heavy snow is expected in northern parts of the UK around New Year’s Day. Some local roads and higher routes could see larger accumulations, while cold‑health alerts have been issued in parts of England.

The Met Office’s maps show wintry conditions moving in around the start of 2026, with the heaviest snow focused in northern parts of the UK. New Year’s Eve should be mostly settled for many areas but showers and winds will increase in parts of Scotland. Temperatures are then expected to fall, and forecasters say wintry showers could spread more widely early in the new year. Health authorities have issued amber and yellow cold‑health alerts for several English regions. What was announced: - A Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for parts of northern Scotland from 06:00 on 1 January until midnight on 2 January. - Snow accumulations forecast include typical totals of a few centimetres, with some local areas reaching about 10 cm and higher roads and hills possibly seeing around 30 cm. - Strong northerly winds, potentially gale‑force in affected zones, are expected to accompany the snow. - The UK Health Security Agency issued amber alerts for the North East and North West and yellow alerts for several other English regions. Summary: The forecasts point to a colder start to January with wintry showers and stronger winds focused initially in the north, and health alerts are in place for parts of England. Met Office forecasters said more warnings for snow and ice are likely as the cold spell develops. For now, we'll stick to the confirmed forecasts.