Heavy snow in March

Met Office Warning Of Heavy Snow Thursday March 15, 04:07 PM


The Met Office has issued a warning that heavy snow falls are on the way for parts of the UK, starting on Sunday and persisting until the middle of next week. The blizzards will be driven across the country by cold northerly winds and disruption to roads, rail and air travel is likely.
The first significant snowfalls are expected overnight on Sunday and during Monday.
The change in the follows a period of above average temperatures for much of Britain.
Experts say the mercury will drop to as low as -4C for parts of Scotland, northern England and Wales.
Stephen Davenport, senior forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, said: "That's really quite a drop. Not only that, we will have biting north-westerly winds with significant wind chill to make it feel even colder.
"These north-west winds are dragging colder air from the Polar and Arctic regions. Scotland will see lots of hail, sleet and snow by Sunday.
"Most parts of the UK will have a risk of passing flurries of snow showers but it may be prolonged along the east of England particularly in East Anglia where it may accumulate overnight Sunday to Monday."
He added that the conditions are not untypical for March, which he described as a "changeable" month.
Environmentalists are warning that the cold snap could prove fatal for many animals that have emerged early from their hibernation because of the mild winter.
Moles, squirrels, dormice, bats and hedgehogs are all at risk.
Biologist Dr Tim Sparks said: "Many of these animals need to feed every day.
"If there are several days where they can't access food because the ground is frozen or covered in snow that can lead to death."