One low pressure system has been responsible for producing a sunset air temperature of -46C over interior Greenland last night, the first snowfall to the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik yesterday and 100 mph winds and the first blast of autumn to the UK today.

Check out this stunning image capturing Reykjavik’s first snow of autumn 2013 yesterday, courtesy of @abouticeland (be sure to give them a follow!).

The below image captured late this afternoon shows a rather intriguing satellite shot showing a SNOW COVERED Iceland while the swirl of low pressure is clearly seen just off the Scottish east coast. This system has brought Greenland it’s coldest temperatures, Reykjavik it’s first snow and for Highland Scotland, likely the first significant snow above 3,500ft. Winds have gusted to 98 mph on top of 4085ft Cairngorm Summit and for the rest of the UK, the first blast of cold air which is driving straight from Iceland will present the first frost for many tonight and in coming nights.

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By tomorrow, the cold, arctic origin air will cover the UK with a strong northerly flow. The only saving grace is the fact that the sun angle remains high enough for at least some warming from the sun but any warmth gets striped away when exposed to the wind.

The cold and wind combo will be particularly nasty along the east coast of the UK where winds will gust to 60 mph. Watch out for battering waves. North Sea travel between the UK and Netherlands-Belgium will certainly be rough tomorrow as northerly gales blow and waves of 20+ feet are likely.

By Friday the upper low cuts off and high pressure builds into Ireland and Scotland but it shall remain cold, windy and at times wet, particularly over southeastern Britain.

By the weekend, high pressure to the north, low pressure to the south means the best of the weather will be over Ireland, NI, Scotland, northern England while there’s a brisker wind with outbreaks of rain in the South. Despite milder air trying to get into more northern and western areas this weekend, nights under clear skies and light winds will present a chance of rural frost.

Into early next week and the cut off low begins to move up over the UK bringing cooler and more unsettled weather to all. Nights turn colder.

With the cold upper low spinning over west-central Europe over the next 48 hours, heavy snow will fall over the Alps.

Still watching the pattern closely towards the 20th as the indexes still show -NAO/AO and that crucial +PNA. ECMWF shows deepening Scandinavia trough with arctic air diving south while heights build up towards Greenland.

As for NH snow cover. It’s above normal across northern Asia while below normal across North America and given the evolving pattern over the next 2 weeks, the coldest air compared to normal over the hemisphere favours Eurasia and yes that includes Europe during the second half of October, so it’s well worth watching this.

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Tags: europe weather, Reykjavik snow, UK Blast of autumn