Home   News   Article

Winter may be coldest in a century





Snow could be a familiar sight in the strath according to long term forecasts
Snow could be a familiar sight in the strath according to long term forecasts

Some of the snowiest and coldest conditions in at least a century are being forecast for the strath and the rest of the Highlands this winter.

The warning, as the first hard frosts start to bite, has come from online forecaster Exacta Weather which is also predicting some record-breaking winds in parts of the UK which could prove very damaging.

Forecaster James Madden said confidence in the outlook is very high up to the end of January.

The harsh conditions are being forecast due to sunspots and solar activity continuing to remain at very low levels.

This December and January are expected to bear the brunt of the cold weather with potentially a return to milder weather in February, although that is less certain according to Mr Madden.

He states: “Large parts of the upcoming winter will be very cold and exceptionally snowy in comparison to last year.

“The forecasting parameters also suggest a potentially high-risk scenario for some of the coldest and snowiest conditions in at least a century at times.

“Parts of Scotland will see a return to the much harsher and snowier winters that it has become accustomed to in more recent years.

“Many eastern and southern parts of the UK will also be inundated with well below average temperatures and frequent falls of heavy snow, with the potential for some dangerous blizzard conditions.

“Although northern and eastern parts of the UK are more probable to be the worst-hit areas for cold and snow this winter, most if not all parts are likely to experience a number of snow events at times throughout this winter too.

“The snowy conditions will also be accompanied by prolonged periods of well below-average temperatures and extremely icy conditions.”

The prediction is that many parts of Scotland will be brought to a standstill due to some very heavy falls of snow.

Mr Madden said: “Heavy snowfall and below-average temperatures are likely to result in lying snow on the ground for some quite lengthy periods of time across many parts of the country through this winter.

“It is also likely to be another relatively dry or very dry winter in terms of rainfall amounts, but not in terms of precipitation as snowfall, which is likely to be above average in many parts.

“February may see a potential shift in this pattern, and in many ways could replicate the February of last winter. However, confidence is very low for this forecasting."

For more on this story see the front page of the Strathy this week.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More