Snow and ice warning as temperatures due to plummet to -5C across north tonight

Temperatures across the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Moray and the islands are due to plummet to -5C tonight with snow also likely across the north.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning covering almost all of the north and north-east from 6pm today until 3pm tomorrow.

Forecasters are warning wintry showers overnight could lead to patchy ice with more snow a possibility tomorrow.

Snow is expected to be mainly confined to the mainland, however residents in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles are still being warned to expect ice.

⚠️ Yellow weather warnings issued ⚠️

Snow and ice across northern parts of the UK
Valid from 1800 this evening

Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs

Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/m70e4IYTwF

— Met Office (@metoffice) December 26, 2022

The weather warning comes as parts of the Highlands enjoyed a white Christmas with snow falling late in the afternoon and through the late afternoon and evening.

Only the extreme East Coast covering Aberdeen, Peterhead and Stonehaven is not covered by the weather warning, which extends as far south as Manchester.

What will the weather be like where you are?

Minimum overnight temperatures on Boxing Day and forecast

• Inverness: -2C, early rain clearing today, sleet tomorrow morning
• Elgin: -2C, chance of snow showers tonight, sleet from late morning tomorrow
• Aberdeen: -1C, dry today, rain tomorrow morning
• Wick: -4C, snow tonight, rain tomorrow afternoon after dry morning
• Stornoway: -4C, sleet turns to snow today, rain tomorrow
• Fort William: -1C, snow showers through today, turning to rain tomorrow
• Newtonmore: -5C, snow through today, turning to sleet tomorrow
• Braemar: -3C, early snow today clearing, more snow tomorrow
• Tomintoul: -4C, snow showers today, more snow tomorrow
• Lerwick: -2C, rain turns to snow today, dry tomorrow after early snow
• Kirkwall: -1C, dry after early rain, dry tomorrow after overnight snow

❄️ We can confirm that the UK has officially seen a #WhiteChristmas

Rain turned to sleet (a mixture of rain and #snow) at Loch Glascarnoch, Scotland at 17:20 with Lough Fea in Northern Ireland also reporting sleet at a similar time pic.twitter.com/Xms3HHxsQe

— Met Office (@metoffice) December 25, 2022

Any snow or ice disruption so far today?

After overnight snow from Christmas Day into Boxing Day, some roads were treacherous this morning.

Traffic Scotland cameras showed the A9 Inverness to Perth road covered in snow in Kingussie at one point.

However, the conditions have since improved and the road has remained passable throughout.

❗️NEW⌚️11:50

Adverse weather conditions on the #A887 at Achlain and the #A9 at Daviot.

Snow and ice warnings in place, take care. @NWTrunkRoads pic.twitter.com/6TxAgWHmVu

— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) December 26, 2022

Meanwhile, the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road has remained clear so far throughout the day.

Flights are operating as normal from Aberdeen and Inverness airports.

ScotRail traditionally runs a limited service in the Central Belt on Boxing Day, but all services are suspended today due to a strike.