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Is it going to snow?

Is it going to snow?

Is that the same as asking – "How long is a piece of string?"

It is hard to predict snow in the UK because of its position. The UK is placed between continental Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, which causes variable weather patterns as the weather is affected by where the air comes from. 

The UK tends to get the coldest weather when the wind comes from the Arctic Circle through Scotland or from continental Europe to the East of the UK.  If we get cold air coming in from the North or the East we tend to get colder weather and more chance of snow.

There are also other factors that determine whether the UK gets snow or rain.

  1. The UK is affected by air masses.  If you get one or more air mass over the UK in the winter, it becomes a bit of a battle ground, according to the Met Office. Cold dry air from the continent will bump against milder, moister air from the west or south. When these air masses meet, snow is possible.
  2. As the UK is surrounded by sea, the sea temperature is warmer than the land in the winter, which can lead to rain on the coast, but snow inland.
  3. The higher you are in the UK, the more likely you will get snow, as the temperature drops the higher you go.  What is rain on lower ground can be snow in mountainous areas.
  4. Interestingly urban areas tend to get less snow because the surroundings tend to be warmer. So you might have light snowfall in a city, but heavy snow just outside.

So will it snow in the UK? How long is a piece of string?

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