Weather warning issued as snow falls in Shropshire

A yellow warning has been issued for potential snow between 1pm and midnight.

The Met Office says hill snow could also cause travel disruption across the north Midlands this afternoon and evening.

Flurries of snow have already fallen across parts of the Midlands as freezing wintry conditions grip much of the country – but those expecting a thick blanketing could be disappointed.

The Met Office has issued an ice warning for most of England and all of Wales and Northern Ireland that also reaches up into southern Scotland.

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A further warning of snow and ice has been issued for the rest of Scotland, including Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, and another spanning England’s eastern coast.

Higher areas of the West Midlands saw the first snowfalls of the winter yesterday, with a coating on areas of the Shropshire Hills and into Worcestershire and parts of Staffordshire.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said the snowfall marks the first cold spell of the year, with the mercury across much of the West Midlands set to stay in single figures for the forseeable future with frosty evenings.

Showers

And while our region is suffering under the big chill, it is so far only northern parts of England that has seen any substantial snowfalls.

She said: “What we have had is a band of showers that have amalgamated, and that has brought a bit of heavier snow for a short period in Newcastle. And that band of showers is going to move down the coast.

“That band moved south throughout the day, bringing some heavier showers, and we had accumulations of maybe 1cm-3cm – but short-lived. So it is not going to hang around for a long time.”

Parts of London, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and the North East of England received a covering, with images showing a white blanket on Tynemouth beach and Whitley Bay after snowfall of more than an inch.

Only higher parts of the Midlands got a dusting, with images showing a covering on the windswept Stiperstones in south Shropshire.

Ms Maxey said that across much of the West Midlands it will be below freezing overnight, with a widespread overnight frosts expected for the next week.

A yellow warning for ice has also been issued for our region as wet weather combined with sub-zero temperatures at night make walking and driving conditions difficult.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: “Be aware that there’s the potential for some icy conditions out on the roads. Make sure you give yourself a bit of extra time – you will probably need a little longer to scrape the car as well.”

The Met Office says early forecasts show the possibility of some snowfall on lower levels of the West Midlands on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

Temperatures in our region are not expected to rise above 5C (41F) for the start of next week and may stay below freezing throughout the day by next weekend.

A mountain of salt weighing more than 3,000 tonnes has been stockpiled by Highways England in the West Midlands to treat motorways.