Staffordshire hit with 39-hour snow warning by Met Office as 'Beast from the East' approaches
Staffordshire has been hit with a new warning for snow, with the 'Beast from the East' set to make its presence felt in the county.
The Met Office has issued a 39-hour yellow weather warning from 3am on Thursday until 6pm on Friday that covers the county but does not include the Black Country.
Staffordshire, as well as neighbouring Shropshire, is towards the southern tip of the warning which covers the width of the country up to Inverness.
In its warning, the Met Office has said: "Snow could develop quite widely across the warning area on Thursday and Friday as a potentially quite deep area of low pressure moves across the UK."
"Event totals could bring 5 to 10 cm of snow to many locations, even at low elevations, with potentially 15 to 20 cm accumulating across the northern portion of the warning area.
"In addition, there is potential for strong winds, which may lead to blizzard conditions and drifting of lying snow."
Despite being excluded from the weather warning, snow is expected to fall in the Black Country between 6pm on Wednesday and 6am on Thursday, with forecasts for Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley all predicting snow.
Forecasters have also said some parts, such as North Wales and northern England, are expected to see the worst of the weather on Thursday, with Scotland and northern England getting the heaviest snowfalls on Friday.
The Met Office has also told people there are small chances of:
Long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel could occur
Communities could be cut off for several days
Long interruptions to power supplies and other services, such as gas, water, telephone and mobile phone coverage, may occur
It also suggests there's a slight chance roads may become blocked by deep snow, with many stranded vehicles and passengers.
Earlier forecasts suggested that parts of the county would see snowfall between 6am and 9am on Thursday. However, towns such as Cannock, Lichfield and Stafford are now expected to see snow on Thursday evening, with a morning flurry expected in Cannock. Temperatures are expected to reach a peak of 5C (41F).
The new warning follows on from one for snow and ice that has been issued from 9pm today and 10am tomorrow, which also covers the Black Country, Birmingham and Worcestershire.
After a grey and cold weekend, temperatures aren't expected to climb much this week, with highs of of 7C (45F) expected today, with tomorrow set to be slightly chillier as temperatures only forecast to reach as high as 5C (41F) or 4C (39F).
However, night-time temperatures are set to hover around freezing, or even dip below. Tonight temperatures will stay around 0C (32F) and 2C (36F), but forecasters are predicting a colder Tuesday night of between -2C (28F) and -3C (27F) The following night are is expected to see temperatures stay around -1C (30F) across the region.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said conditions could be similar to those experienced during a cold snap in December 2022 and may not lift for almost a fortnight.
He said: "Temperatures will be much, much colder than we would expect at this time of year.
"The pattern will set in for some time. We have got this feed of cold air coming in from a much higher latitude.
"We expect these conditions to remain in place until at least next weekend and possibly longer because sometimes these conditions can be quite stubborn and not easily subject to change."
In its warning, which also covers the Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, the Met Office has said: "A band of rain will edge southwards through the course of Monday evening and early Tuesday, this rain turning to snow on hills and perhaps to lower levels in places.
"Many areas will see little or no accumulations of snow, but 1 to 2 cm could settle in some spots, most likely over high ground and southern parts of the warning area.
"The rain and snow is then expected to turn light and patchy as it slowly clears southern England on Tuesday. As skies clear overnight, ice is also likely to form readily on untreated surfaces."
In total, the weather warning runs from the western tip of South Wales, across to East Anglia, falling just short of Derby in the north and covering Winchester at its southern most point.
The Met Office outlook for the West Midlands from Wednesday to Friday stated: "Mostly dry with some bright weather on Wednesday, after a frosty start. Cloudier and breezier thereafter with a chance of some rain or snow. Gradually turning less cold."
By Sunday, daytime temperatures across the Black Country and Staffordshire are expected to hit 11C (52F), with overnight temperatures remaining around 6C (43F)-7C (44F).
As gas prices remain high, the government are reminding people of the importance of staying warm.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: "During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.
"If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18C (64F) if you can."
