Map reveals the snowiest places in the UK

It's too early for forecasters to tell whether snow is on the way, although it could certainly get cold enough for it by Christmas.


Map reveals the snowiest places in the UK + ' Main Photo'
The top contenders arent all in the Scottish Highlands (Picture: Getty)

As winter approaches, the odds of snow are rising though people who arent fans of it have little to worry about just yet.

The UK is currently in the grip of an unusual phenomenon which causes a distinct lack of noticeable weather.

Experts say anticyclonic gloom, when high air pressure traps moisture near the Earths surface, is responsible for the lack of wind, rain and storms usually seen at this time of year.

Its also responsible for extremely stubborn cloud cover with one weather station in Hampshire having recorded exactly zero sunshine so far this month.

Temperatures over the coming week are set to drop sharply by up to 9°C in some areas but wont be within snowy weather territory yet, with overnight lows of 6°C in the coldest regions.

The Met Office has said there is currently no indication of widespread snow in the coming weeks, but its very difficult to predict in the UK and forecasters are not ruling out snow before Christmas.

Here are the places its likeliest to happen, based on the average annual number of days on which they experience snowfall:

Most of the snowiest places are in Scotland, though there are also two in and around the North Pennines

It could well get cold enough for snow to settle in these areas over the coming months, but this doesnt mean snow will actually fall, experts say.

Because of the UK’s location, where the air comes from is incredibly important when it comes to determining if snow is possible, the Met Offices Andrea Bishop told Country Living this week.

Top 10 snowiest places in the UK

1. Cairngorns (Scotland) 76.2 days per year.

2. Shetland Islands (Scotland) 64.7 days per year.

3. Fair Isle, (Scotland) 62.8

4. Orkney Islands (Scotland) 59.0

5. Copley, County Durham (England) 52.7

6. Leadhills, South Lanarkshire (Scotland) 51.6

7. Widdybank Fell, North Pennines, County Durham (England) 50.2

8. Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway (Scotland) 49.8

9. Kinbrace, Scottish Highlands 49.2

10. Knockanrock, Scottish Highlands 48.5

Being surrounded by water also adds another factor into predicting snow chances in the UK.

It may not feel like it if you dip your toe in, but the water in the seas around the UK is well above freezing and that affects the temperature of the air close to the surface which can determine how much snow is in the forecast.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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