While some areas across the north and north-east experienced a fairytale White Christmas, the weather looks to turn milder as Scotland brings in the new year.
Temperatures have hovered at around freezing for the past few days in Inverness.
Thick fog has also blanketed the region and has made visibility while driving difficult.
The Met Office officially declared it a White Christmas in the UK with snow falling over towns including Braemar, Aboyne and Ballater and the Shetland Islands.
The forecast in the run-up to the new year will become warmer with temperatures rising with it mainly staying dry and bright on December 30 and 31.
In comparison, the temperature forecast for midnight on December 28 is -1° whereas at the chime of the bells on New Year’s Day the temperature is forecasted to be 8°.
Wondering where #winter has gone?
Much of western Europe will become exceptionally #mild for the time of year later this week 📈
Unseasonably high #temperatures will also affect the UK where records are likely to be challenged ⚠️ 📈 pic.twitter.com/wj76YwyDLe
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 27, 2021
From a White Christmas to a milder New Year’s Day
This will rise to a high of 12° at noon on January 1. The same trend can be seen in Grampian as temperatures begin to steadily rise in the run-up to 2022 with temperatures peaking at 11°.
Temperatures across the north and north-east will stay consistent between 7° and 12° from 9am on Wednesday, December 29 to 9pm Sunday, January 2.
The good weather is only likely to add frustration to people who cannot enjoy the large-scale festivities normally arranged on New Year’s in Scotland.
This is due to the added restrictions that came into force on Boxing Day that limited large crowds and made celebrations unfeasible.
The new restrictions are in response to the rapid rise of the Omicron variant in Scotland which topped over 11,000 cases on Boxing Day, the highest total since the pandemic began.
Street parties in Aberdeen and Edinburgh have been cancelled due to the new rules forcing disappointed Scots to find other ways to ring in the bells.
Hottest New Year’s Day on record?
The milder temperatures won’t be the hottest on record across the region.
Back in 1992, Inverurie recorded a whopping 14.5C on New Year’s Day.
The hottest January 1 in the UK came in 1916, when 15.6C was recorded at Bude, Cornwall.
Senior operational meteorologist at the Met Office Rachel Ayers said: “This year on New Year’s Day we are currently looking at a maximum temperature of 12-13C for Scotland with the highest temperatures likely in the west though across Inverness-shire we could see temperatures reaching 12C.
“Though this is still a few days away so though confidence is high in the mild theme for the weather the exact temperature forecast may change slightly over the coming days.”
