Snow and ice warnings in place as wintry weather grips Scotland

Snow and ice warnings are in place as wintry weather grips Scotland this week.

Frequent snow showers are expected from late on Tuesday through Wednesday and Thursday and may lead to disruption.

Overnight showers and low temperatures will bring the risk of ice, especially in the north. There is a likelihood of some icy patches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

Snow is expected on hills above 300 metres. Meteorologists said there could be as much as 10cm of snow on high ground.

The public has been warned to take care in case of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Insight

How cold will it get and where will there be snow?

Sean Batty

Yellow alerts for ice came into force at 7pm on Monday covering northern parts of the mainland. A snow warning followed from 3am in effect north of Stirling.

A further ice warning starts from 5am on Tuesday, covering inland areas over the central belt and south of the country.

A snow and ice warning covering most of the mainland, the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland comes into force at 6pm on Tuesday and is in effect until 9pm on Thursday.

Yellow alerts for ice come into force at 7pm on Monday covering northern parts of the mainland STV News

The Met office said: “Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy. Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal. Not needing to rush, reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls.

“If you need to make a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery. Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated.

Very low temperatures are also on the way.

STV meteorologist Sean Batty has predicted that most towns and cities will see daytime temperatures around 4C or 5C through much of the week, with nights dipping to around freezing.

When the coldest air arrives on Thursday, many areas will fall below zero.

Rural areas will be much colder. Some of the typical cold spots, such as parts of South Lanarkshire, may drop to around –7C, while the south and west Highlands could fall to about –10C, especially in glens where lying snow will help temperatures tumble even lower.

A snow warning follows from 3am in effect north of Stirling. STV News

“Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.”

Widespread cold conditions and some wintry hazards are expected across the UK throughout the week.

The coldest night since March was recorded on Saturday when temperatures dropped to minus 7C in Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands.

A further ice warning starts from 5am on Tuesday, covering inland areas over the central belt and south of the country. STV News

“An area of rain will reach the west of Scotland early on Tuesday, before pushing erratically south and east through the morning, easing and clearing into the afternoon,” the Met Office said.

“Whilst there is some uncertainty as to the exact track and extent, a period of snow is likely over high ground, with accumulations of 2-5cm possible above about 150m elevation, and as much as 5-10cm above 400m.”

Coastal areas are not expected to see any snow.