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Wet Snow Alert: UK Faces Snowman-Building Weekend
13 Feb
Summary
- Wet snow forecast for Scotland, Northern England, and Wales by Saturday midnight.
- Snowflakes melt slightly before hitting the ground, making them sticky and perfect for snowballs.
- Wet snow's weight poses risks like snapping tree limbs and power line outages.
Get ready for a unique winter experience as advanced weather models predict "wet snow" across the UK this weekend. Maps indicate that by midnight on Saturday, areas including Scotland, the north-west of England, and Wales could see this precipitation.
The forecast suggests the wet snow will continue its eastward movement, reaching much of England in the early hours of Sunday. By 6 am, the south-east, East Anglia, the Midlands, Yorkshire, and parts of Scotland are expected to experience these conditions.
Wet snow forms when snowflakes partially melt before reaching the ground, making them sticky. This characteristic is ideal for crafting snowballs and building snowmen. The Met Office explains that warmer temperatures near 0C cause snowflakes to stick together, forming larger, heavier flakes.
While wet snow offers opportunities for winter recreation, it also carries potential hazards. Its increased weight compared to dry snow can lead to difficulties in clearing and can cause tree limbs and power lines to snap, potentially resulting in power outages and, in severe cases, structural damage.
