Parts of England could see their first snow of winter this weekend

The first snow of the season could fall in parts of England this weekend, as wintry showers sweep across Britain.

Snow could fall on high ground in the Western part of the British Isles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with freezing overnight temperatures the norm around the country, forecasters said.

By the end of the weekend, high-up parts of the country, stretching as far south as the tors of the tors of Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor in the South-West, could have had their first dusting of snow of the winter.

North and West Wales, around Snowdonia, and the Lake District, and the Pennines could also see up to a two centimetres of snow above 600m on Sunday, with a light dusting possible on lower ground.

The Scottish mountains could see several centimetres of snow by the end of the weekend, the Met Office said.

Forecaster Calum MacColl said: “The first snow of the season arrived on Snowdonia and the Lake District last month but parts of the North-West, around the Pennines, and even as far south as the Tors in the South-West could see their first snow on Sunday.

“Friday will be cold and breezy with some wintry showers in Scotland. Rain in the North-West on Saturday will move South-East, making conditions more wintry again on Sunday.”

Other areas could see hail and sleet as chill winds bring daytime temperatures on Friday down to just above freezing and plunge them into the blue overnight into Saturday.

Rachel Vince, senior forecaster at MeteoGroup, said: "Scotland and Northern Ireland will see a mixture of sunshine and showers on Friday.

"These showers do look like becoming hail and sleet showers in places, with snow in the mountains."

The Met Office currently has a yellow ice warning in place for Scotland and Northern Ireland for Friday morning.

Rain showers will move south east across the rest of the UK on Friday, and are likely to linger in the south east until after dark.

Temperatures will reach a high of 9C (48F) in the south west but are likely to average between 3C and 6C (37F to 43F) across the country. Friday night will be clear and frosty with temperatures as low as -3C (27F) in rural parts of southern Scotland, northern England, Norfolk and the Home Counties.

Saturday will start fine and crisp but chill winds will bring in cloud over England and Wales, with rain in Northern Ireland and Scotland and possibly snow on high ground, forecasters said. Temperatures will reach a high of 11C (52F).

Ms Vince said the rain will move south overnight into Sunday and turn increasingly wintery in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales as the day progresses.

She added: "The Scottish mountains could see several centimetres (of snow) by the end of the weekend."

-msn