On my phone for example, that just threw up a notification a short time ago warning of heavy RAIN in the vicinity. Yet from what I have been seeing, what we have been seeing falling from the sky has been anything but rain.

thanks Jacko, I am hoping so as would be nice to see a bit more snow.  We have maybe 3cm here although far less on surfaces exposed  to the sun as you;d expect.  Its been much cloudier today with snow on and off so hoping some of those showers out east give us something more substantial.

I think that might be the idea. Show people what they are missing.

I have uninstalled the BBC App from my phone and installed the Meto one for example.

Thanks for sharing Tally, looks like I'm remaining in the yellow warning area of no hope then throughout

The Met office forecasts via their website and social media have been excellent. Just what the BBC were thinking is beyond me 😔

Less cold

Unsettled

Risk of further snow

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/43220990 

I note the Met Office have now removed weather warnings for my areas not just tomorrow but Friday and Saturday too - we were in Amber before!!

suns out here now and I might even be robbed of an ice day😔

quickly melting- I really hope you do better than we have - it’s been a massive disappointment around these parts for sure 

No they haven't, the warning was updated earlier today but Exeter is still in the amber zone for Thursday and Friday and yellow for Saturday. Try refreshing! (And don't panic...)

Red alert now issued for snow in Scotland; the first time the MetO have ever issued a warning of this severity in terms of snowfall I think.

A red warning for Wales was issued back in 2010-2011 for 40CM of snow in the Valleys.

No, we got one back in Edinburgh in Dec 2010 (the 8th i think)

It didn't amount to much (2 inches on top of a foot of snow already there)

This better be biblical... they're kicking me out of work and the kids are off school already

And here (Reading) too, back in 2010.

And a full house - we had one on Nov 30th 2010.

I know there was one on 5/6 Jan 2010 (which delivered!) but not sure if we ever had any in the Nov/Dec 2010 spell here. I doubt it as this part of the world din't get much snowfall during that spell, just some low minima.

UK Outlook for Monday 5 Mar 2018 to Wednesday 14 Mar 2018:

Further rain, sleet or snow is expected into the early part of next week, as an area of low pressure moves north across the UK with showers following. Northern parts are likely to see the snow, whereas rain or sleet is more likely further south. It will stay very cold, with brisk winds in the north. During the following week, and into mid-March it is likely to stay cold in the north, but temperatures could return nearer normal in the south, making it less cold here than recent days. It is likely to be unsettled through the week, with rain and strong winds across the country, perhaps turning to snow across central and northern parts. The best chance of drier conditions will be in the far north and northwest.

UK Outlook for Thursday 15 Mar 2018 to Thursday 29 Mar 2018:

The easterly wind is likely to persist, with colder than average conditions in the north, but it may be a little milder at times in the south and southwest of the UK. There will continue to be a risk of snow across some central and northern areas, but in the far north and northwest it should be drier. Frost and ice will continue to be widespread and severe in places. As we head towards the middle of March it may turn more unsettled and less cold with milder and wetter weather spreading up from the south or southwest. This may lead to further significant snow in places although this remains very uncertain. Northern areas may hang on to the colder weather well into March.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast 

To be fair though, this kind of weather is hard to pinpoint and it’s inevitable the forecasts will be wrong for some areas. In general I think the models, radars and forecasts have been good!

Red Timeline ( from the BBC)

Previous red warnings

The current traffic light warning system only came into force in 2011.

This is the 9th red weather warning of any type for anywhere in the UK since then.

This is the second red warning for snow and the first in Scotland.

The last time the Met Office issued a Red warning was on 29 January 2016 for storm-force winds across Orkney and Shetland

Previous Red warnings were:

• 26 December 2015 for heavy rain across Lancashire and Yorkshire.
• 5 December 2015 for heavy rain across parts of Cumbria and the Scottish Borders (Storm Desmond)
• 12 February 2014 for severe galesacross Wales and northern England
• 18 January 2013 for snow in south Wales
• 7 July 2012 for rain in SW Devon and E Cornwall
• 3 January 2012 for storm-force winds in the Central Belt of Scotland
• 8 December 2011 for severe gales in central and southern Scotland

... and, I note, FIVE consecutive days of weather warnings for various parts of the UK, starting today. Has this happened before?

Again back in 2010 winter I'm sure we had several weeks of weather warnings one after the other usually for ice.

Nope, had one covering my part of Surrey previously, but cannot recall whether it was 2009 or 2010.

M

As it is lovely down here today, with sunshine and green fields , but assuming it was based on the forecast yesterday for a rapid deterioration on Thursday, is it premature or sensible ?? ...

No mention of the red warning for snow for the Reading area in Jan 2010, then. I got 40cm out of that, I remember it well.

That doesn't seem right. I distinctly remember the red warning in January 2010, in fact I think I've still got the screenshot saved.