UK snow forecast as maps show flurries in 50 counties and six inches possible

UK snow forecast as maps show flurries in 50 counties and six inches possible Weather forecasting models suggest widespread snow is on the cards in the coming weeks, with people living in 50 counties across the UK possibly seeing some flakes The first widespread snowfall of the season could be right around the corner, according to weather models. Some weather models have already indicated that a cold spell is on the cards in early to mid-November, and now the data suggests snow may also come to parts of England, Wales and Scotland. The GFS weather model first shows heavy snow falling in western Scotland on the morning of November 10, at a rate of around 4mm per hour. The flurries could then impact Wales in the early hours of November 11, before moving across into England. Rain is expected to follow the snow as it heads up towards Scotland again, the GFS model maps show. By 9pm on November 11, the flurries will once again be centred on northern Scotland and North Wales. GFS model data shows as much as 16cm (roughly six inches) could settle on high ground in western Scotland, with 13cm (roughly five inches) possible over high ground in Wales. Snow accumulations in England aren’t expected to reach much above 1cm. In total, the GFS model maps suggest 50 counties could see snowfall across the two days, although the white stuff won’t settle on the ground in all of them. UK counties facing snow England - Yorkshire - Derbyshire - Cheshire - Shropshire - Staffordshire - Herefordshire - Cumbria Scotland - Sutherland - Ross-shire and Cromartyshire - Inverness-shire - Nairnshire - Morayshire - Banffshire - Aberdeenshire - Kincardineshire - Kirkcudbrightshire - Argyllshire - Angus - Perthshire - Ayrshire - Dunbarton - Stirlingshire - Lanarkshire - Selkirkshire - Midlothian - Dumfriesshire - Peeblesshire - Roxburghshire Wales - Blaenau Gwent - Bridgend - Caerphilly - Cardiff - Carmarthenshire - Ceredigion - Conwy - Denbighshire - Flintshire - Gwynedd - Isle of Anglesey - Merthyr Tydfil - Monmouthshire - Neath Port Talbot - Newport - Pembrokeshire - Powys - Rhondda Cynon Taf - Swansea - Torfaen - Vale of Glamorgan - Wrexham El Nino could bring more snow to the UK This comes as experts have suggested this year’s El Nino, expected to be the strongest ever, could lead to the polar vortex collapsing - potentially bringing major snowfall this winter. The Met Office explains: “Through the latter part of the winter, following a peak in El Nino, the stratospheric Polar Vortex can become weaker, leading to an increased chance of Sudden Stratospheric Warming events unfurling, increasing the potential for cold weather.” Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) refers to a rapid warming (up to about 50C in just a couple of days) in the stratosphere, between 10km and 50km above the Earth’s surface. This means cold air rushes downwards, impacting the jet stream and potentially creating a ‘blocking pattern’ which can keep snow and cold weather locked in place for an extended period. This process led to the infamous ‘Beast from the East’ in 2018, a historic weather system which brought 22 inches of snow to some parts of the country in February and March of that year Although SSW doesn’t always result in these outcomes, the Met Office says a cold snap “follows more often than not”.