Weather Snow Forecast Shows Sharp Swings After UK Sees Warmest Day and Blood Rain
The UK recorded its warmest day of the year while hill snow fell in Balerno near Edinburgh and “blood rain” left reddish residues across the Midlands, a rapid swing that matters because new charts point to broad wintry conditions next week. Friday at 9: 00 a. m. ET, the weather snow forecast shows models mapping widespread snow risks for large parts of the country.
Saharan Dust, Blood Rain and Balerno Hill Snow Recorded This Week
Southerly winds pushed a layer of Saharan dust across England on Thursday and Friday, producing sepia-toned sunrises and poor air quality in parts of southern and central England. Temperatures climbed above average and England, Wales and Scotland all recorded their highest temperatures of the year so far on Thursday, while hill snow returned to Balerno near Edinburgh on Friday, and blood rain was reported in parts of the Midlands.
GFS Weather Model Maps Indicate Snow Could Cover 60% of the UK
The GFS weather model indicates snowfall spreading across a vast swathe of the UK from approximately 6: 00 a. m. on Friday, March 13. Model charts cited in coverage show the most severe snow beginning in northern Scotland, with flurries predicted in Wales, Northern Ireland and north-west England; one headline notes up to 60% of the country could be hit by blizzard conditions next week.
Local Impacts: Liverpool, Manchester and Southern England Timing on Maps
Forecast maps place cities such as Liverpool and Manchester at risk of flurries as snow spreads, with one model snapshot showing heavy snowfall across Northern Ireland and northern England early in the event. Another set of maps projects an additional wave of snow moving into southern England and Wales overnight into March 16, then shifting northwards again by afternoon to affect North Wales, the Pennines and the North West.
Temperatures in the model runs dip sharply during the predicted events, with published charts noting lows as cold as -12C in parts of far north Scotland and around -3C in northern England and Northern Ireland during the coldest spells. Some coverage includes forecasts of accumulations up to 12cm in affected Northern Ireland areas.
Weekend conditions immediately following the warm spell were mixed: Scotland and Northern Ireland saw fine days with sunshine on Saturday and colder starts with frost for some, while England and Wales experienced mainly cloudy conditions with patches of rain and likely mist and fog into Sunday morning. South-east England was expected to see cloud break and some sunshine by Sunday afternoon, with daytime temperatures this weekend ranging between 11-14C and up to 18C in south-east sunshine.
Longer-range outlooks published alongside the maps note that next week is likely to be more unsettled, with spells of rain and windy conditions concentrated across western areas. The Met Office’s outlook for a later period mentions the potential for weather patterns to become slower-moving by late March, and Weather flagged the possibility of wintry showers from March 16 to 22.
For now, the sequence of extremes—thermometers above 19C in parts of London on Thursday and hill snow in Scotland two days later—underscores the rapid variability captured in the model runs and surface observations this week. The weather snow forecast remains centered on model timings and the Met Office and outlooks that indicate cooler spells and showery systems into mid- to late March.
Confirmed next timing: the GFS charts referenced show snowfall beginning at approximately 6: 00 a. m. on Friday, March 13 (6: 00 a. m. ET), with further model-indicated snowfall around 9: 00 a. m. on Sunday, March 15 (9: 00 a. m. ET) and a possible second wave overnight into March 16 (3: 00 a. m. ET) that shifts south before drifting north again by afternoon.
