Britain may be covered by a blanket of snow in just days as the latest weather maps show several areas in the UK experiencing wintry conditions next week. According to WXCharts maps generated on February 16 using Met Desk data, the snowy conditions will begin to hit the country on February 26 at around 6pm.

The maps shows that the freezing weather will continue to impact the country untill February 28. Around 22 counties in England and Scotland will witness heavy snow – with some areas burying under 62 cm (24 inches) of snow, the weather charts suggest. The weather maps show that the temperature levels will plunge to a minimum of -5C as the country goes through the cold spell. Areas around Inverness in Scotland will see the heaviest snowfall, the weather maps have suggested. However, the cold weather will spread over to Cornwall and Devon with a possibility of 2-3cm of snow per hour, the maps show.

The latest WXCharts maps come as the Met Office issued yellow warnings of snow for several parts of the UK for Tuesday (February 17).

Separately, Met Office’s long-range forecast looking at the days between February 21 and March 2 reads: “Remaining changeable to begin with, as Atlantic low pressure systems push east over or to the north of the UK.

“This means further spells of wet and at times windy weather, interspersed with brighter, showery interludes. Some heavy rain is likely, especially across high ground areas in the west and north, though some sheltered eastern and southern parts may see comparively little rain.

“It will like be relatively mild overall, though some occasional colder spells are possible, particularly in the north. Around the turn of the month, there is a signal that high pressure will become more dominant, meaning more in the way of dry weather developing.”  

The Met Office previously explained forecasting snow in the UK is particularly complex due to rapidly-changing conditions. Its website read: “Small variations in temperature or wind direction can mean the difference between rain, sleet or snow. Meteorologists use high-resolution models to predict precipitation type, but these models can struggle with marginal situations where temperatures hover around freezing.

“Forecasters also consider factors such as precipitation intensity. Heavy bursts of precipitation can cool the air near the surface, increasing the chance of snow. Conversely, lighter precipitation may melt before reaching the ground. This fine balance makes snow forecasting one of the most uncertain aspects of UK weather prediction.”