Icy conditions hit Scotland - but how long will they last?

Temperatures have dipped below freezing across Scotland, causing icy conditions - but will the cold snap last?

According to the Met Office, things will remain icy and frosty for the next few days, before temperatures become milder.

Ice and frost is then set to be replaced by wet and windy conditions towards the end of this week.

This week’s weather forecast

Today (4 Dec), Scotland will see a frosty start for some and spells of freezing fog, before a bright day with some sunshine develops.

It will be “cloudier in west with a few showers, especially over coast and wintry on hills,” the Met Office said.

There will also be some light, mainly westerly winds, with a maximum temperature of 6C.

Tonight, “showers will die away then clear spells and cold and frosty with some freezing fog forming, but cloud will increase overnight to bring patchy rain and hill snow,” added the Met Office.

Generally, Scotland will see a minimum temperature of -1C tonight.

The Met Office advised that on Wednesday (5 Dec) the country will see a “frosty start in far north with patchy fog, but cloud thickening, with rain and hill snow spreading northwards.

“Clearing from the west in afternoon but staying cloudy and perhaps misty. Maximum temperature 5C.”

However, temperatures will increase between Thursday and Saturday, prompting “milder, but mainly cloudy [weather], with spells of rain, some heavy.

“Saturday will be drier and brighter. Also becoming windy with gales, possibly severe gales on Friday and into Saturday.”

Met Office forecaster, Richard Miles, said, “It will be cold again tonight and Wednesday night. Isolated sheltered areas in places like Aviemore could see temperatures as low as -8C.

“However it will start to warm up Thursday and Friday as wetter, windier weather comes in from the west.”

Long-term forecast

“Whilst there is a lot of uncertainty through the rest of the month, as Christmas approaches we may see a more general trend towards unsettled conditions returning, with spells of wetter and milder weather affecting many parts of the UK, and with a risk of gales at times,” explained the Met Office.

“Any snow associated with these wet spells is more likely to be confined to hills in the north. Temperatures whilst starting below normal or cold, are likely to recover to be above average at times.”