Though not unprecedented, this week will be one of the colder endings to an April you’ll see.

With strong high pressure anchored over the Atlantic and a deep low diving down the North Sea, we have late season arctic air cycling around an anomalous upper vortex which is driving an icy gale packing rain, sleet and snow showers south down central and eastern parts of the UK. In exposure of the wind, it’s going to like more like January 25 rather than April 25.

This is a very chilly Western Europe for time of day and year! Core of trough and cold centred over Germany!

This is an impressively deep and cold trough by late April standards.

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ECMWF next 5 day means

Snow was sighted in Denmark as well as Poland this past weekend and we can expect snow for many Western European countries this week as arctic air cycles around what could be argued as a polar low centred over Denmark.

Denmark

Poland

The 850mb temperature profile certainly fits January rather than late April.

Snow has been falling and sticking over far Northern Scotland this morning.

Met Office has a Yellow Warning for snow and ice as a result.

ECMWF has significant snow accumulation building within the Highlands as we progress through this week. However as this arctic air continues to drill south and cool the atmosphere over the UK to the lowest 2-3,000 ft, expect to see snow down to sea level within these heavy, gusty showers all the way to Southern Britain as we progress through today and early this week.

Very strong northerly winds gusting 35 to 55 mph start over the N/E of Scotland and will transfer down the English North Sea coast later today and tonight. It will feeling particularly cold as there’s little to warm this air being forced southward.

Here are some GFS 2m temp snapshots for each afternoon. Just look at how much below normal these afternoon readings are. A solid 4-8, locally 10C below normal.

See today’s video.

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