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Very cold with risk of snow

[Updated 07:15 09/02/2017]

Thursday is off to a cold start with temperatures close to 0C (32F). Most places are dry but wintry showers are affecting eastern counties.

The rest of the day remains mostly overcast in central and eastern areas. Wintry showers develop and in places they could leave a sprinkling of snow. The west should be mostly dry and bright.

It will be very cold. Maximum temperatures range from to 3C (37F) in much of the UK to 6C (42) in the south west and Northern Ireland. See the rainfall and precipitation type radar for the latest view.

Tonight a widespread frost returns and temperatures could plunge to -10C (14F) in the Scottish glens. In eastern England snow showers become heavier and move westwards across the south.

Tomorrow parts of the south could wake up to a thin covering of snow. It will be a very cold day with snow flurries in the east but west should be brighter.

This weekend showers become more widespread, but as the air above the UK starts warming up the conditions for snow become more marginal. Precipitation intensity is likely to be a factor, so in areas where heavy showers form substantial accumulations of snow are possible on Saturday. Lighter showers could bring rain and sleet too. By Sunday the risk of snow increasingly becomes confined to high ground.

Early next week milder slowly returns from the south but the northern half of the UK probably remains rather cold. The second half of the week looks mild in the south but the north may remain chilly. Buzz takes a look at the snow risk.

Ensembles at a glance

The 16 day GEFS shows cold weather in the short term but next week a milder air mass pushes up from the south. During the last week of February the risk of rain increases.