Snow will fall across the North East this weekend, with anyone heading out urged to take extra care in the icy conditions of the February freeze.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice which will come into force at 6am on Saturday, February 15 and remain in place until 2pm, covering the majority of the region including Newcastle, Gateshead and most of Sunderland and County Durham, as well as part of North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Northumberland. Forecasters have advised that the weather is likely to lead to some disruption, with delays to road, bus and train services likely.
The latest weather maps from the Met Office show patches of snow arriving in the early hours of Saturday, with widespread rain and hail initially covering the North East before turning to snowfall in parts of the region by 9am. Some areas are forecast to see up to five hours of snow, but any that lies will soon be washed away by rain in the afternoon and evening.
(Image: Met Office)
The forecast indicates that the snow will spread southwards across the region throughout the day, with Northumberland seeing the heaviest snow at around 10am while County Durham is shown as covered by snowfall by 12pm midday. The more central areas of the region, particularly Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland, are expected to see the longest period of snowfall on Saturday.
The heaviest snow will fall at rates of between 0.5mm and 4mm an hour, with most of the region expected to see this level of snowfall from 10am. However, by 2pm when the Met Office weather warning is lifted, much of this will be replaced by rain, with only the southernmost part of County Durham continuing to see snow showers at this time which will move off by 3pm.
The weather warning alert for Saturday reads: “Outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow are likely to develop early Saturday before easing from the west during the afternoon. Snow is more likely to the east of the Pennines, particularly above 150 metres, where 2-5 cm may accumulate over the North York Moors and Northumberland.
“To lower levels, any falling snow may struggle to accumulate though some places may see up to 2cm before gradually easing during the afternoon. There is also a risk of ice over the Pennines, particularly above 200 metres where freezing rain is possible.”
There is a chance of further snow in the North East on Sunday, February 16, the Met Office said, but weather maps at the time of writing showed clear spells mixed with rain across the region. Meanwhile, the look ahead to early next week forecasts a mostly dry but cloudy day on Monday, followed by sunny spells on Tuesday.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-east-weather-maps-show-31005480
