Met Office says when snow could fall in West Country amid UK 'exploding snow bomb' reports

The Met Office has once again stepped in to give its own assessment of the snow risk facing the UK, saying we could see some of the white stuff in the West Country at the weekend. It comes as weather maps point to a '800-mile snow bomb' set to go off over Britain.

According to the expert assessment by the Met Office, the chance of 'disruptive snowfall' affecting populated areas is 'low' at this stage. But it said there is a risk of more 'organised' areas of rain and hill snow across southern parts of the country, including in our region, on Sunday (November 17).

Metdesk maps from WXCharts also suggest the country is in for a very snowy day next Thursday (November 21). By 6pm, most of the UK will be blanketed with a carpet of snow the arrival of an enormous frosty weather front stretching from the highest reaches of Scotland, all the way down to the northern tip of Europe, the Mirror reports.

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Weather forecaster Jim Dale, the chief meteorologist with British Weather Services, said that this weather front of "very deep snow time" could last as long as a full week. He said: "The board is set the pieces are moving! This one is looking like a full week in the freezer before it relents.

"The weather models will ebb and flow but the latest is spelling a very deep snow time (several inches) for the Midlands & Pennine towns & villages. Scottish hills and mountains go without saying. Traffic dislocation & dangers appear inevitable. But it all means nothing for how Christmas may turn out."

In Gloucestershire, no snow appears in the localised Met Office forecast. The temperature could fall to a possible low of -5C on Sunday in the Cotswolds.

On Thursday afternoon, the Met Office issued an update, saying by Sunday, low pressure moves in and we’ll see the start of some unsettled and much colder weather. Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: “A notable early winter cold spell will arrive across the north from Sunday and will likely reach all parts of the UK by midweek.

“Temperatures will drop as a northerly airflow develops, bringing in colder Arctic air. This introduces the possibility of snow, initially over high ground in the north from Sunday, with gusty winds also a potential hazard.”

Met Office West Country weather forecast

Today (Thursday, November 14): A grey start for many with some fog patches and a little drizzle in places. Remaining grey across many northwestern areas. However, some bright or sunny spells developing elsewhere. Gentle winds, with temperatures around or a little above average.

Tonight: Cloudy with hill fog and patchy drizzle across many northern areas, where increasingly breezy. Clear spells eastern Scotland, central and southern England and Wales, with patchy fog and frost.

Friday: Mostly dry with sunshine across central and southern England, south Wales and eastern Scotland. Cloudier elsewhere with hill fog and drizzle. Heavier rain in far northwest later. Windy in north.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday: Rain moving south across England and Wales Saturday. Brighter, colder with blustery showers elsewhere. Wind, rain and hill snow Sunday. Widely colder with sunshine and showers, some wintry, on Monday.

UK Met Office long-range forecast

Monday, November 18 to Wednesday, November 27:

Frequent wintry showers are expected, mainly in the north and along eastern and western coasts where exposed to the strong north to northwesterly flow. Snow is likely to fall to low levels, especially in the north. Many inland areas may be largely dry with lengthy sunny spells, especially where sheltered from the flow.

However, there is a risk of some more organised areas of rain and hill snow running east across more southern parts. The chance of any widespread or disruptive snowfall affecting more populated areas at this stage remains low though.

Cold everywhere with overnight frost, and the strong winds will result in significant wind chill. There is a hint that it may become less cold later in the period, with more of a westerly flow becoming established.

Thursday, November 28 to Thursday, December 12

Signals vary in prevailing weather patterns through this period but likely mainly unsettled and rather cold for the start of the period. There is a chance of more mobile weather patterns which would see Atlantic systems periodically move across the country. These will bring some wetter and windier interludes with a risk of some snow, especially for hills of the north. A trend toward less mobile weather or more settled conditions is favoured into December, although some wetter and windier interludes remain likely at times. Temperatures also trending closer to average, especially in the south.