The warning was issued on Thursday 2 January 2025 by the Met Office.
The warning is in place from 12 noon on Saturday 4 January until Monday 6 January at 9 am.
Outbreaks of rain spreading progressively northeastwards later on Saturday and overnight into Sunday will likely be preceded by a spell of snow on its northern flank.
Whilst there is some uncertainty, any snow in southern and eastern parts of England, especially at low levels, will probably be rather transient before turning back to rain.
However, some significant accumulations of snow are possible across parts of Wales, the Midlands, and northern England in particular, at least for a time, where 5 cm or more could accumulate fairly widely, with perhaps as much as 20–30 cm over the high ground of mid and north Wales, and potentially 30–40 cm over parts of the Pennines. This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow.
In addition, as milder air moves northwards, snow may turn to a spell of freezing rain for a time, again more especially across parts of Wales, the Midlands, and northern England, adding to the risk of ice and leading to some treacherous conditions in places.
A fairly rapid thaw of lying snow is possible later on Sunday, although exactly how far north the rapid thaw will reach remains uncertain at this stage.
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