Arctic snowbomb to smash into Britain: Coldest winter in 58 years

BRITAIN faces WEEKS of freezing blizzards, crippling snowfall and brutal winter storms as a savage turn in the weather plunges the ENTIRE COUNTRY into winter lockdown.

By Nathan Rao Nathan Rao

PUBLISHED: 05:37, Sat, Jan 9, 2016 | UPDATED: 09:27, Sat, Jan 9, 216

SNOW: From next week the weather is set to get much colder threatening to reach levels of 1962

Blistering Polar gales, several feet of snow and near-record low temperatures will grind the country to a standstill until MARCH, forecasters warn.

The first taste of what could be a historic whiteout will arrive THIS WEEKEND as freezing winds drive in from Siberia and the North Pole.

Parts of Britain has experienced the first of the snow coverings today as sheets of snow covered Cumbria as the region attempted to recover from devastating floods over the Christmas and New Year period which put thousands of homes under water.

Britain is on alert for the week-long winter blast to unleash widespread heavy snow and -13C (8.6F) temperatures.

The bitter spell is forecast to last through next week bringing harsh frosts, snow and ice across the length and breadth of the UK.

It has sparked warnings to expect chaos on the roads while communities are urged to keep an eye on the elderly and vulnerable.

Flood-hit Scotland is braced for up to two feet of snow to plunge the region into more misery as the mercury nosedives to -10C.

Forecasters warn not to be fooled by a brief mild spell and that a lethal set of freak weather conditions merging to unleash winter CHAOS.

Netweather

The Arctic wind charts for the middle of next week

A powerful El Nino warning in the Pacific Ocean is on course to be the strongest ever recorded while the jet stream sweeps southwards opening the floodgates to scourging Arctic winds.

If things play out as long-range forecasts suggest, the current mild winter could end in one of the coldest spells for 50 years.

Weather models show the ENTIRE COUNTRY blanketed in deep snow by the end of THIS MONTH with heavy falls as far south as London.

Piers Corbyn, forecaster for WeatherAction, said: "There is a significant change in the weather on the way.

"The jet stream, which has so far remained north over the UK, is about to make a sharp southwards turn allowing an Arctic air to sweep Britain.

"The British Isles will be locked into an Arctic airflow for at least the next five days."

Temperatures are due to drop from tomorrow with overnight lows of -9C (16F) forecast for Scotland and the north.

Thermometers will hover close to freezing elsewhere before plunging to -2C (28F) next week and -13C (8.6F) in the north.

NAO

The Arctic weather system will drive down from the North

James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said the end of winter could rival the shocker of 1962/63 - one of the coldest on record.

He said the weather will also be driven by a slow-down of the Gulf Stream which has led to cooler waters around the UK.

He said: “We could see a much colder period until March with a multitude of snow events after snow events in response to low pressure systems clashing with the almost stagnated and cooler air that will be in place across the British Isles.

“This will also be due to the changes we have seen in solar output in recent years, and how this has altered the heating of the Gulf Stream and left us with an exceptionally cold North Atlantic.

“This then intrinsically alters oscillation and jet-stream patterns to leave us in these extremely cold and snowy conditions, for what is more than 'inevitability' for this winter on the basis of our current forecasting parameters.”

He said a “lag effect” has buffered any early onset of colder conditions although a major change is just around the corner.

He said: “It is important that people start preparing for the worst instead of getting caught by surprise later.

“The worst case scenario could certainly place us in a similar winter to that of 1962/63 although our forecast does indicate some milder interludes.

“Another major problem this winter could also see ice storms and rather windy/blizzard conditions developing due to Gulf Stream changes, and there is also the possibility that ice floes could develop in places later in the winter, in particular, from the coast in parts of South East England.”

Netweather

Snow chart for the middle of next week

Leon Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel UK, said the cold weather threatens to hold out for the rest of January.

He warned up to a foot of snow will settle over high ground in Scotland with wintry showers likely over lower ground.

He said: "The weather pattern is continuing the process of changing after the extremely mild December. "The rest of January will be a lot colder over the UK with below-average temperatures. "The jet stream looks like locking for a while to a pattern a lot further south over central and southern Europe with a blocking ridge to the west over the Atlantic.

"Scotland will see the colder change first with snow levels continuing to drop and the risk of some quite heavy snowfalls across northeast Scotland to valley levels with 20 to 30cm [one foot] possible.

"Early next week colder Arctic winds will move south with sleet and snow showers for Scotland, northern England, Wales and parts of the Midlands to East Anglia.

"The cold and wintry weather looks set to last through next weekend and to the week after too." Scotland is in the firing line for the first taste of winter while heavy rain today tomorrow will hammer southern regions.

Mr Brown added: "Saturday will be a washout across southern Britain but much brighter and mainly fine on Sunday while snow moves across northern Scotland."

GETTY

Britain will be hit by heavy snow as winter finally draws in

The AA tonight urged motorists to "act quickly" to avoid breakdowns and warned drivers to take extra care on the roads.

Spokesman Paul Watters said: "People should not be complacent, we are about to go into slip and slide mode bringing hazardous conditions.

"We would urge people to act now to get their cars ready for winter weather and to avoid flat batteries and other problems.

"The cold weather will bring a very different set of driving conditions to the wet weather we have seen."

The Met Office said temperatures were due to plunge tonight with frost, snow and ice on the cards for many on Saturday.

Spokesman Lindsay Mears said: "It is going to be very cold into Saturday, with temperatures falling below freezing in there north bringing ice and frosts with snow to lower levels.

"Saturday is going to feel much more wintry than of late with further rain turning to snow and there is a marked change on the way next week with an Arctic air flow across the UK.

"This is the first wintery spell of the season and there are signs it will stay colder through to the end of January with a milder interlude followed my more typical January weather." Netweather is forecasting -13C in the north next week while most of the country shivers in lows close to or below freezing.

The weather over the past few months has left experts baffled with freakishly mild conditions leading to record rainfall and devastating floods.

This serves as a warning to expect a sharp turnaround as the climate struggles to re-balance itself.

Atmospheric pressure over Iceland is about to rise leading to a negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) dragging freezing air in from the Arctic.

The NAO has until now remained in a positive phase, strengthening Atlantic westerly winds and steering a succession of storms into the UK.

A pendulum swing to a negative phase will push storms further south over southern Europe leaving the UK open to a brutal Arctic assault.

It will lead to a freezing start to spring with heavy snow and biting gales unlikely to ease up before March, experts claim.

Currently the jet stream is positioned unusually far north of the UK allowing warmer air to flow in from the Atlantic.

Weathermen say there are signals it will sweep southwards this month opening the floodgates for northerly winds to tear across the UK.

Snow chaos returns to BritainMon, November 30, 2015 Many places in the UK have been hit by snow. Blustery and wintry weather will sweep across Britain bringing fears of disruption and travel chaos.

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A snow plough drives on the single carriageway section of the A9 near Kindallachan, Scotland