Overview
- Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice covers parts of northern Scotland from 6am January 1 to midnight January 2.
- Forecasters expect 2–5cm of snow at lower levels (locally 10cm), 10–20cm above 200m, and 30cm or more on the highest routes.
- Strong northerly winds, locally gale‑force, will drive drifting and hazardous conditions, with gusts near 60mph along some North Sea coasts.
- Officials warn of road, rail and air disruption, possible power cuts, and a risk of some rural communities becoming temporarily cut off.
- Long‑range guidance points to very cold conditions across much of the UK into the first week of January, with some model runs hinting at a larger snow event around January 7 that remains uncertain.