Storm to bring London, southern United Kingdom rare snowfall this winter
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A satellite image Tuesday afternoon showed a storm approaching the United Kingdom. (AccuWeather) |
AccuWeather meteorologists say that a sneaky winter storm will affect southern portions of England and Wales with accumulating snow into midweek and could bring enough snow to make for slippery roads and sidewalks, especially over the countryside.
The storm, which was located several hundred kilometers to the southwest of Ireland Tuesday afternoon, will race eastward across the North Atlantic and encounter cold air wedged over the United Kingdom, the North Sea and northwestern Europe into Wednesday.
The northern part of the storm will affect southern portions of England, as well as Wales and Ireland, forecasters say, where the air will be just cold enough to allow a period of snow.
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This radar snapshot was taken at 4:30 a.m. GMT on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Rain is depicted as shades of green, while snow is shown in shades of blue. |
"The London area can expect 3-7 centimeters (1-3 inches) of snow from the quick-hitting storm into Wednesday, mainly on grassy, non-paved surfaces," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said. "However, some areas farther to the west in southern England and Wales can pick up double or triple that amount, especially over the higher ground."
Airline delays are likely primarily due to deicing operations and poor visibility, especially with departures from London's Heathrow International Airport for a time on Wednesday.
Road conditions around London on Wednesday will range from wet to slushy. Outside the city, roads may become covered with snow, especially to the west.
A breakaway batch of moisture associated with the storm was producing accumulating snow over parts of Germany on Wednesday afternoon.
A larger storm will swing across the North Atlantic late this week, but unlike the first storm at midweek, the second storm will draw milder air across southern England with rain, drizzle and fog episodes. Snow is most likely across Northern Ireland, Scotland and the northern part of England where cold air lingers.
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A map showing the winds over the North Atlantic, the United Kingdom and western Europe. (AccuWeather) |
The winter seems to be playing a bit of catch-up in southern England. Prior to the storm at midweek, London had only picked up about 1 centimeter of snow (0.4 of an inch) so far this winter, all of which fell on Dec. 11.
"London averages 10 snow days from Nov. 1 to March 31, Roys said. "Based on historical average, London sees two days in March with snow."
February brought unusual warmth across southern England, with temperatures for the month of 2.5 C (4.5 F) above the historical average of 7.1 C (44.8 F). The warmest day of the month was Feb. 15, when temperatures hit 15.7 C (60 F).
Temperatures have trended slightly below the historical average since the weekend.
"Temperatures will bottom out Wednesday morning in southern England with the storm and its snow," Roys said. "Temperatures will dip to near the freezing mark in London but will drop to the minus 4 C to minus 1 C (25-30 F) range west and northwest of the city." The lower temperatures in these outlying areas will translate to more slippery conditions and more snowfall.
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