Weather: Threat of first heavy snowfall forecast

Overnight temperatures in some rural areas could see the mercury plunge to -5C by the end of the week. Picture: Neil Hanna

Overnight temperatures in some rural areas could see the mercury plunge to -5C by the end of the week as a high pressure system settles over Scotland.

CairnGorm Mountain near Aviemore, which last weekend celebrated its earliest opening for five years with 800 skiers and snowboarders at the resort, was closed to snow sports again yesterday as temperatures rose to 10C, bringing a halt to any chance of skiing.

But Graeme Whipps, a Met Office forecaster, said that tomorrow will be “transition day.” for the weather.

He said: “It is going to be turning colder, with a front coming from the north, bringing rain at first. It looks like it is going to be a showery set-up, rather than continuous snow, at this stage.

“We are looking at snow showers, initially over the hills, but falling down to lower levels by the end of the day on Monday. Most of the showers are probably going to be in the north and the west with maybe a few feeding through the Forth and Clyde valley.”

Whipps explained that the best chance of fresh and potentially large accumulations of snow would be on Tuesday.

He said: “There are doubts in the forecast for Tuesday but it does look as if we might see a spell of more prolonged rain down western areas. And it could be that, on the eastern edge, there could be more persistent snow on Tuesday. There is a chance of heavy snow but at the moment we are not that confident where it is going to come.

“But there is a chance of more persistent snow, inland from the west coast. The potential is there.”