Arctic blast brings snow and ice to UK, closing major road across Pennines
The UK is currently experiencing a harsh winter's grip, with an Arctic blast bringing snow, ice, and freezing temperatures to Scotland and northern England. This has led to significant travel disruptions, including the closure of a major road across the Pennines. The Met Office has issued two yellow warnings for widespread travel disruption on Friday, with freezing temperatures causing a four-day health alert for cold weather. In Scotland, the warning is for snow showers as deep as 10cm on high ground and 2cm on low ground, while in large parts of northern England, the warning is for rain, sleet, and snow, which could lead to slippery pavements, icy roads, and disruption to public transport. On Friday morning, National Highways reported the A66 was closed between the A67 near Bowes in County Durham and the A685 near Brough in Cumbria due to 'concentrated snowfall'. Forecasters attribute the colder temperatures to an Arctic maritime air mass, and the UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow alerts for cold weather across northern England and the Midlands from 6am on Friday until 8am on Monday. The wintry weather follows a strikingly wet start to 2026 for large parts of the UK, with some areas experiencing rain for 40 days. While it was a cold, frosty, and tricky day for many on Friday, there is a glimmer of hope for better weather on the way, with Saturday expected to be the best day in some time, offering a lot of sunshine across the UK.
