Swathes of Scotland are expected to be hit with snow and ice as a yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for the first day of 2026
Scots may have missed out on a white Christmas this year, but snowy conditions look set to make an appearance as the New Year begins. Forecasters suggest January will get off to a very cold start, with snow flurries expected in the first two days of January and icy conditions likely to affect travel in several areas.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice across parts of Scotland, with the warning in place from from 6am on January 1 to 11:59pm on January 2. The weather warning comes as persistent cold northerly winds sweep across the country.
Much of Scotland is being warned that the snow and ice may cause disruption to travel plans in the New Year, with the possibility of stranded vehicles and passengers as well as delays or cancelations to rail and air travel.
“Cold northerly winds, initially across Scotland are now expected to become dominant across the whole UK in the first week of January. These will bring wintry showers (often of snow) to many coastlines (and areas just inland of these) that are exposed to onshore winds,” the Met Office said.
The Met Office also warns that day to day changes in wind direction could shift where the heaviest snow falls. They continue: “Subtle day-to-day changes in wind direction from northeast to northwest will change the places most exposed to the showers, but many inland locations across central and southern areas will remain mostly dry but cold.
“There are likely to be some more coherent bands of rain, sleet and snow working south, and these may bring a risk of more prolonged wintry precipitation affecting some inland areas.
“Towards the second half of this period, slightly milder conditions will attempt to move in from the west.”
WXCharts, which uses MetDesk data, suggests that much of Scotland, including Aberdeen and Perth, could see persistent snowfall from the afternoon of January 1. By January 2, snow is expected to spread further south, reaching areas such as Inverness.
Snow depth charts suggest that some parts of northwest Scotland could see up to 17 inches on snow by Thursday, January 1.
The yellow weather warning for ice and snow, put in place by the Met Office, covers:
Affected areas
- Strathclyde
- Orkney & Shetland
- Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Grampian
- Central, Tayside & Fife
What to expect
- Disruption to travel is likely on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel
- There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off
- There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
- There is a chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces