Nothing transforms our landscapes – and our lives – more quickly and completely than heavy snowfall. Roads are blocked, trains are halted and planes grounded. The countryside is draped in a white, almost lifeless blanket and sound is eerily muffled.
For many, it causes severe disruptions to everyday life – while others in areas that don't see much snow may dream of snow days. While it's uncommon for the whole of the UK to be covered in a blanket of snow, there are still plenty of places in the UK that feel the chill.
How does snow form?
Snow is formed when temperatures fall below 2°C and moisture in the air turns into clouds of tiny ice crystals. The ice crystals gradually bond with each other, growing large and heavy enough to fall as snowflakes. If the temperature is well below zero, they fall as small powdery flakes that settle and are easily blown by wind into deep drifts. But if the snowflakes fall through slightly warmer air (0–2°C) they partially melt and stick together to form larger flakes. If the temperature is just above 2°, the snow falls as sleet – partially melted snowflakes that can appear more like pellets of snow. Any warmer and the snow turns into rain.
What are the coldest winters in the UK?
The winters of 1946/47 and 1962/63 have assumed legendary status in Britain’s weather-obsessed culture. In 1947, the Thames froze for the first time in 200 years and in some areas the snow drifted 7m deep. The season in 1963 was even colder with snow falling across the country around Christmas and remaining well into March.
However, such extreme cold events are becoming rarer with climate change. The Met Office reports that our winters have become 1.7°C milder since the 1960s. Its data also shows there have been on average five fewer snow days per year in Britain per decade since 1979.
Where are the snowiest places in the UK?
The Cairngorms in Scotland leads the way with 76.2 days of snow a year. One area of snowfall on the remote peak of Brierach (1,295m), named The Sphinx, is historically the longest-lasting patch of snow in the UK, enduring all-year round. If you want to try out snowsports, there are many ski resorts in the Cairngorms that are open from around December to mid-March. However, in another worrying sign of climate change, The Sphinx has disappeared completely five times since 2017, having only melted nine times in the previous 300 years.
- Winter wildlife in the Cairngorms National Park
- 14 sensational walks in the Cairngorms National Park
Copley in County Durham’s North Pennines is England’s snowiest location with 53 days a year, while parts of Eryri and the Berwyn Mountains further east are Wales’ snowiest spots with 10–30 days of snow a year. In Northern Ireland, the mountains of Sperrin, Antrim and Mourne receive up to 30 days of snow a year.
More snowy content:
