Overview
- Amber warnings now cover parts of the Highlands and north‑east Scotland from midday Friday to midday Saturday, with 10–20cm likely at low levels and up to 30–40cm on high ground with temporary blizzard conditions.
- Yellow warnings for snow and ice span large areas of England and Wales from midnight to noon on Friday, with 1–2cm for some and up to about 5cm on higher ground, plus separate yellow alerts for Northern Ireland on Friday morning.
- Police and forecasters warn of longer road, rail and air journeys, possible cancellations and power cuts, and advise people to assess whether travel is necessary and to prepare for hazardous surfaces.
- UKHSA amber cold‑health alerts are in force across all English regions until 10am on January 6, with officials warning of significant pressure on health and social care and a likely rise in deaths among vulnerable groups.
- A separate 24‑hour yellow warning for the North East runs on Saturday, January 3, with frequent heavy snow showers bringing 1–3cm widely and 5–8cm over the North York Moors, while in upstate New York a local Yellow Alert continues for shifting lake‑effect squalls near Rochester with highly variable totals up to about a foot in spots.