Let it snow! Up to 8in to fall (but no white Christmas)
THE first heavy snowfall of winter is about to hit Scotland – with up to eight inches set to cover some areas.
The white-out could cause chaos for shoppers trying to get their final Christmas gifts – with retailers fearing a sales slump as people stay indoors.
Experts are predicting ‘significant’ snowfall this weekend, while freezing winds from Russia will also lash the country.
The heaviest snow will mainly be in the East, with as much as eight inches on higher ground.
Flurries in lower-lying areas are also expected on Saturday morning, which could affect ground and air transport.
But Scots hoping the frosty weather will lead to a white Christmas are likely to be disappointed, as temperatures are set to climb again from Monday.
Simon Partridge of the Met Office said: ‘This will be the first significant fall of snow this winter – this week just gets colder and colder. By the time we get to Friday, daytime temperatures will be no higher than 2C or 3C (3537F) in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
‘Winds from Russia will contribute to a large area of cold sitting over the whole of the UK, then a low-pressure system sweeps in from the Atlantic to collide with the cold.’
It is this collision which will cause the heavy snow.
The forecast will be a blow for retailers, who will be hoping for a brisk trade in the second-last shopping weekend before Christmas. It is feared snow may keep shoppers indoors buying online instead of on the high street.
Retailers are already facing a ‘nerve-racking’ run-up to December 25, according to a study.
Scottish Retail Consortium figures, released this week, found sales fell by 1.6 per cent last month compared with the same period last year.
Strong winds are expected to accompany the snowfall, with gale-force gusts at times.
Mr Partridge added: ‘It will be very windy everywhere on Saturday into Sunday. If the West of the country does not get snow, it will get heavy rain and gales instead.
‘Our computer models are still a bit vague at the moment over where the worst of the snow will fall. But where this does occur, it is possible depths of 10-20 centimetres (4-8in) may be experienced. Temperatures go back up on Monday to 7C or 9C (44-48F) in Scotland’s major cities.’
Sports fans are being warned the weather may affect fixtures. On Saturday, St Johnstone are due to host Motherwell in Perth, while Dundee United travel to the Highlands to face Inverness Caley Thistle in the Championship.
It is unlikely the snowfall will be as bad as the Beast from the East in March, when the country ground to a halt.
Vehicles were abandoned and businesses closed – although many Scots happily went sledging and snowboarding in the streets.
Last week, the first big freeze of winter – with temperatures as low as -3C (26F) – led to many people attending A&E after falls.
More than 80 people were queuing at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Wednesday morning.