The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning across the North East and North Yorkshire this weekend, following a week of cold temperatures and snow flurries across the UK.
It is likely the region will be affected on Saturday evening (March 11) and Sunday morning (March 12).
More snowfall has the potential to cause disruption, particularly from 6pm on Saturday until 6am on Sunday.
It follows from an amber warning in Durham that has been put in place for the end of the week. This weekend's warning also covers icy conditions.
What does the Met Office say?
According to the Met Office, the following issues could take place in the North East:
- Possible travel delays on roads stranding some vehicles and passengers
- Possible delays or cancellations to air travel
- Bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled, with some road closures and longer journey times possible
- Untreated pavements and cycle paths might be impassable
- A chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
- There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
Why is there a yellow weather warning for the North East this weekend?
An area of low pressure moving in from the southwest through Saturday night into Sunday will bring a band of precipitation across much of the UK.
The forward edge of this is expected to fall as a transient band of snow which may bring accumulations over the higher ground before turning increasingly to rain from the south through the night.
However, for some places in the north of this area, this band may become slow-moving and snow may persist into Sunday morning.
For much of the area, accumulations are likely to be confined to elevations above 200m, with 2-5cm possible and 5-10cm possible above 400m.
These accumulations are likely to begin melting with the onset of rain, although, during this transition freezing rain is possible given the icy conditions, mainly over higher ground.
In the north, where the band of precipitation becomes slow-moving, similar accumulations are expected although this will not melt, with lying snow remaining through Sunday.
Full list of areas affected in the North East
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
- North Yorkshire
What should I do?
You can keep up to date with the latest weather news on the Met Office website where you can find out about travelling in snow and ice, as well as tips on staying safe.
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