Met Office extends snow and ice warning for Highlands and Islands, Moray and Aberdeenshire

By Cameron Roy

December 6 2022, 11:16 am

The Met Office has issued a snow and ice warning. Image: Wullie Marr/ DC Thomson.

The Met Office has extended its snow and ice warning for across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Aberdeenshire.

Forecasters announced over the weekend that they expected this winter’s first snow to arrive on Wednesday.

A yellow warning was issued for the whole day, which has now been extended until noon on Thursday.

It covers the whole of the Highlands, Islands, Moray, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire – including Fort William, Stonehaven, Inverness, Elgin, Thurso, Orkney and Shetland.

The warning covers a large area of the north of Scotland. Image: Met Office.

What should people expect?

Although there will be many people across the north and north-east who will be looking forward to some snow, some disruption is expected.

The Met Office has warned of the following:

Road and rail journeys will be longer as bus and train services are affected.
Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.
Icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: “We could see temperatures of -10C and even lower in parts of Scotland, especially over higher ground where there is lying snow which can drive temperatures down.

“Even daytime temperatures will be struggling to stay above freezing in some places towards the end of the week.”

“The air flow is coming from a northern direction and is bringing an Arctic maritime airmass which is bringing these cold conditions.”

Temperatures last dropped below minus 10 in Scotland in December 2020 when they fell to -10.2C in Dalwhinnie, in the Highlands, while in December 2017 a temperature of -13C was recorded in the same place.

The coldest December night on record was on December 30, 1995 when the temperature fell to -27.2C at Altnaharra, also in the Highlands.