Overview
- Official guidance points to cold northerly winds dominating the first week of January, bringing wintry showers mainly to coasts exposed to onshore flow and nearby inland areas while many southern and central inland locations stay dry but cold.
- UKHSA has activated amber and yellow cold‑weather health alerts across several regions through January 5, warning of increased demand on health services and higher risks for older and clinically vulnerable people.
- Local and BBC forecasts indicate sleet and light snow are possible between January 2 and 4 in places such as Bicester, Coventry, North Wales, Merseyside and Stoke‑on‑Trent, with widespread frosts and sub‑zero nights.
- Privately published model outputs (WXCharts/Met Desk/ECMWF) depict scenarios of heavier snow bands and high short‑term snowfall rates around January 7–9, but these projections vary widely and no broad Met Office snow warnings are in force.
- Forecasters advise those in onshore‑exposed coastal counties and adjacent inland areas to check updated Met Office forecasts frequently as the placement and intensity of any snow bands may shift over the next few days.