North Staffordshire to 'feel like -5C' as BBC gives 'hours of snow' warning

Meteorologists reckon it could feel as cold as -5C in parts of North Staffordshire next week with 'hours of snow' forecast to fall. And a weather map from the Met Office has the Potteries down for some snow in what is shaping up to be a wintry week.

It comes as forecasters have predicted a 'major change' in the weather after this weekend with temperatures set to nosedive. In response a cold-health alert has also been issued for the county.

That comes as parts of the Moorlands, including Leek, could feel as cold as -5C next week with the Potteries to feel as low as -4C at times. And it's Leek, and surrounding areas including Endon on the city border, where forecasters with the BBC reckon there could be hours of snowfall as the week progresses with it becoming heavy at times.

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How cold it will get in North Staffordshire

It will start to feel colder from tomorrow when unlike today, temperatures won't get in the double figures. They will be as high as just 7C on Sunday - while heavy rain is expected to hit from around 4pm.

Sticking with the Met Office forecast and Monday looks bleak with heavy rain from 3pm. Temperatures will get up to 5C but it will feel like 2C for much of the day.

From then and it'll be run of dry but rather cold days. It will get down to 0C at times between Tuesday and Friday and could feel as cold as -4C during some mornings.

It's a similar story for Leek although at times it will feel like -5C. In Flash and it will be freezing at times with lows of -3C as the week goes on - that will feel like -6C.

Snow latest for North Staffordshire

Currently and a Met Office weather map reckons there could be snow in Stoke-on-Trent at around 3pm on Wednesday and a chance of some more around midnight going into Thursday. It's predicting it slightly earlier for the north of the city going into the Moorlands with the chance of snowfall on Tuesday morning as well.

But while that's coming up on the service's weather map - it's not in the Met Office forecast. Instead it's predicting rain tomorrow and Monday before dry and cold conditions through to Friday.

Meanwhile the BBC reckons the city will see sleet showers on Wednesday (November 20) and more on Saturday (November 23). However as it stands and the Beeb says there will be light snow in Leek from 5pm on Wednesday amidst a backdrop of a low of 0C.

Those light snow showers are expected to continue through to 10am on Thursday when it could turn heavy. Further light snow in Leek - including Endon - on Friday night and into Saturday when it'll turn heavy from 7am to 10am.

What the Met Office has said

As the nation is braced for a cold snap the Met Office has issued warnings. The first yellow alert over snow and ice will run from 4pm on Sunday until 11am on Monday and will take in the Scottish Highlands. However a further warning, running from 10am on Monday until the same time on Tuesday which will go from Glasgow down to Huddersfield.

Rebekah Hicks, deputy chief meteorologist with the Met Office, 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. As the cold air spreads south, wintry weather is possible more widely, and a snow and ice warning has already been issued for parts of Scotland and Northern England for early next week.

“Updates to the warnings for wintry hazards are likely, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast.”

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