Cold spell '˜almost on its way out' on first day of meteorologial winter

Yorkshire was waking up to slightly warmer temperatures today - with forecasters saying the current cold spell is 'almost on its way out'.
The A169 Whitby to Pickering road was deserted yesterday. PIC: Ceri OakesThe A169 Whitby to Pickering road was deserted yesterday. PIC: Ceri Oakes
The A169 Whitby to Pickering road was deserted yesterday. PIC: Ceri Oakes

Snow showers seen across eastern England on Thursday will likely melt away through the course of Friday, the first day of meteorological winter, as temperatures rise to around 6C (42F).

Yellow “be aware” warnings for snow and icy patches across northern Scotland and the east of England as far south as Essex will be reduced as the Met Office reports the risk of snow is beginning to diminish.

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The majority of showers over eastern England are now expected to fall as rain and sleet, forecasters said.

Meanwhile, police in Durham and Darlington warned snow and ice were still affecting some areas on Friday morning, making driving conditions hazardous.

Meteorologist Craig Snell told the Press Association: “For the rest of today, it’s a less cold day. It’s still going to be nippy out there, especially across England and Wales, but there is plenty of drier weather to be had away from eastern counties.

“It will be increasingly cloudy across Scotland and Northern Ireland with outbreaks of rain.

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“That will gradually move south-eastwards as we go through the course of the evening tonight, not reaching the far south until some point tomorrow.”

He warned southern areas could be in for a cold night, with temperatures possibly falling below freezing resulting in an early frost, but it is expected to be a milder night for northern parts, with places in Northern Ireland not likely to fall below 6C or 7C (42F to 45F).

Looking ahead, Mr Snell said the picture looked less cold for the weekend, especially at night, with cloudier skies.

He added: “We will be picking up a bit more cloud than we have been used to and there will also be the risk of rain at times across western and northern parts of the country.

“That general milder scene will continue as we go into the early and mid part of next week.

“The risk of frost is beginning to decrease and it looks like this cold spell is almost on its way out.”