While many sporting events have been canceled due to snowfall and icy conditions, temperatures will drop to minus 11C in some parts of England over the weekend.
The Met Office predicted temperatures could drop “as low as minus 10C in parts of Scotland” overnight, while sub-zero conditions could be common elsewhere.
It could be minus 11C in parts of Aberdeenshire and minus 8C in rural Wales on Saturday morning.
The coldest temperature recorded on Friday was minus 9.4C at Shap in Cumbria, the forecaster said.
The areas that saw the most snow on Friday were Aviemore, Invernesshire, 5cm; Albemarle, Northumberland, 2cm; Bingley, West Yorkshire, 2 cm and Loftus, Cleveland, 1 cm.
“It’s going to be a very cold night tonight, probably the coldest night of the week so far,” Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said on Friday.
🌡️ Temperatures across much of the UK are already close to, if not below, 0°C
📉 The weather will continue to cool overnight, perhaps dropping to -10°C in some parts of Scotland pic.twitter.com/mDcp0BrsN9
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 1, 2023
“This is because most of the country is under clear starry skies. There will be some cloud in western areas as Irish Sea showers move inland; It may bring some snow to south-western parts of Scotland and parts of Cumbria.
“Further east this area of fog and mist is once again spreading over a fairly large area and this fog will be freezing fog, this is due to temperatures dropping substantially below zero.”
He said that the temperature will be minus 3C or minus 4C in many districts and provinces on Saturday.
“As a result, there are some icy warnings in place overnight and into tomorrow morning for parts of Scotland, north-west England and many eastern parts of England, which may have resulted in wet surfaces that may freeze overnight,” he added.
“Snow showers will also continue in south-west Scotland throughout Saturday morning, mostly falling from higher ground above 1 or 200 metres, although there may be some snowfall (sic) to lower levels in parts of the Lake District, for example. noon.
❄️ A cold start to Saturday for many with widespread frost
🌦️ Beach showers may pose a risk of icing on untreated surfaces
🌫️ The fog and freezing fog will gradually dissipate, leaving a dry and sunny day for most
⚠️ Stay #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/EW810IYTzc
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 1, 2023
“In other places we will see fog and mist gradually clearing, but in central and eastern areas it may remain quite dark for most of the morning.
“The best sunshine will be in the northern parts of Scotland, but further south and west you may see things start to change a bit (on Saturday afternoon) with a greater risk of showers.”
He said that if the winds shift further to the southwest, it will mean that temperatures will gradually increase until Saturday, and the cold will decrease slightly in the southwest.
“Elsewhere it’s still bitterly cold, not much above freezing,” he added.
“Showers in the south-west are moving inland throughout Saturday night and could bring some snow to parts of Wales and central areas such as the Peak District as they hit colder air, for example.
“There’s a little bit of uncertainty around that, but we’ll probably get some snow by Sunday morning.”
Crewe’s FA Cup second-round clash with Bristol Rovers on Saturday was canceled because the playing surface was deemed unsafe and rescheduled for 12 December.
A number of matches in the Scottish Professional Football League were likewise postponed before the weekend, with Dundee United’s clash with Morton at Cappielow and Ayr v Arbroath at Somerset Park both cancelled.
The high-profile racing fixture to see the return of Constitution Hill in Newcastle on Saturday has been canceled due to snow on the track.
Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page added: “The low pressure system will bring less cold but more unstable weather for southern parts of the UK on Sunday.
“It will be a cloudier day with some rain but there is also a chance of snow over the Midlands initially.
“The weather will be brighter in the north, but there is still a risk of showers in coastal areas.
“A chill is still felt away from the southwest and temperatures are once again in the low single figures.”
The UK Health Safety Agency and Met Office have issued yellow cold health warnings in five regions: East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber until 5 December, meaning “cold weather impacts are likely to be felt” for a longer period of time. throughout the duration of the entire healthcare service”.