Yellow snow warning for south west

Stop sniggering at the back

Without any hint of irony, the Met Office, which tells us spring begins on 1 March rather than at the equinox on the 20th, is warning Devon to get set for snow.

It's issued a yellow warning, saying it's likely to cause some travel disruption on Wednesday, having arrived on Tuesday evening.

In an alert on Monday lunchtime, the Exeter-based weather gurus say they expect snow to reach parts of the south west late on Tuesday evening will then spread north during the early hours of Wednesday before clearing away eastwards during the day.

They say many parts of the region can expect accumulations of one-to-two centimetres of snow whilst over higher parts, especially Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor can expect five-to-10 centimetres of snow.

Met Office chief meteorologist Dan Suri said: “Snow, ice and low temperatures are the main themes of this week’s forecast, as the UK comes under the influence of an arctic maritime airmass as cold air moves in from the north.

“Snow is already falling in parts of the north where some travel disruption likely, as well as a chance of some rural communities being cut off. Snow showers will continue through today and Tuesday here, and Northern Ireland will also be subject to some snow showers, especially over high ground.

“Ice will provide an additional hazard for many with overnight low temperatures well below 0°C for many. Further south wintry hazards will develop with parts of England and Wales affected by icy patches and snow in places tonight and likely further snow in parts of the south early Wednesday.”

What to expect during the yellow snow warning

There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel
There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off
There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
A small chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
There is a slight chance that bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled, with some road closures and longer journey times