As you flung open your curtains this morning, you might have been surprised to see white streaks falling from the sky. While snow was forecast across much of the UK’s northern areas this week, snowfall and sleet have been spotted as far south as London. Is this normal? Or another sign of our climate in chaos?
Is UK Snow In November Normal?
Snow in the UK in November is definitely unusual, though not unheard of. Typically, we would expect to see snow falling over the hills and mountains in Scotland from mid-November onwards – so snowfall as far south as London in mid-November is definitely irregular. In short, this cold snap is not necessarily worrying, but it is an indication of the direction our weather patterns are moving in: more extreme seasons, more icy storms further south, and more irregularity.
This current cold snap is all thanks to a low pressure system sweeping across the nation from the Atlantic. With temperatures plummeting, areas of high land across Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England will see some of the snowiest and iciest conditions, but the Midlands is also one of the worst-hit areas, with Derbyshire hit by school and road closures.
The cold snap follows what is being called the ‘anticyclonic gloom’ which has blanketed the UK over the past week, masking sunlight with a perfect storm of mist, fog and low cloud. If the weather is getting you down, here’s a tidbit of joy: over the next few days, temperatures will still be cold, but the sun is finally expected to shine down on the UK as the cloud cover clears.
Is It An Effect Of Climate Change?
Changing weather patterns is an impact of climate change. Indeed, though our planet is experiencing anthropogenic global warming, this doesn’t always mean we see higher temperatures. So far, British temperatures have been lower than average in November, thanks to changing weather patterns.
A major impact of climate change on the UK is the destabilisation of the gulf stream, which is what gives the UK its unusually temperate climate despite its high latitude (just think about how much colder it gets in Canada, which is mainly on the same latitude as the UK). As the gulf stream wobbles, so does our confidence in ‘typical’ weather.
