GETTY/Netweather SNOW: From next week the weather is set to get much colder threatening to reach levels of 1962

Blistering Polar gales, several feet of snow and near-record low temperatures will grind the country to a standstill until MARCH, forecasters warn. The first taste of what could be a historic whiteout arrived this weekend blanketing parts of Scotland and Yorkshire in thick snow. A dramatic change in atmospheric conditions will drag a plume of freezing air from the North Pole across Britain through this week. Britain is on alert for the week-long winter blast to unleash widespread heavy snow and -13C (8.6F) temperatures. Snow is forecast as far south as London, Kent, Devon and Cornwall as experts warn to expect icy roads and travel delays. The bitter spell is forecast to last through next week bringing harsh frosts, snow and ice across the length and breadth of the UK.



It has sparked warnings to expect chaos on the roads while communities are urged to keep an eye on the elderly and vulnerable. Flood-hit Scotland is braced for up to two feet of snow to plunge the region into more misery as the mercury nosedives to -10C. Forecasters warn not to be fooled by a brief mild spell and that a lethal set of freak weather conditions merging to unleash winter CHAOS.

Netweather The Arctic wind charts for the middle of next week

A powerful El Nino warning in the Pacific Ocean is on course to be the strongest ever recorded while the jet stream sweeps southwards opening the floodgates to scourging Arctic winds. If things play out as long-range forecasts suggest, the current mild winter could end in one of the coldest spells for 50 years. Weather models show the ENTIRE COUNTRY blanketed in deep snow by the end of THIS MONTH with heavy falls as far south as London. Piers Corbyn, forecaster for WeatherAction, said: "There is a significant change in the weather on the way.



"The jet stream, which has so far remained north over the UK, is about to make a sharp southwards turn allowing an Arctic air to sweep Britain.



"The British Isles will be locked into an Arctic airflow for at least the next five days." Temperatures have plumetted since last week with overnight lows of -9C (16F) recorded in Scotland and the north.



Thermometers are expected to plunge to -2C (28F) next week and -13C (8.6F) in the north.

NAO The Arctic weather system will drive down from the North

James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said the end of winter could rival the shocker of 1962/63 - one of the coldest on record. He said the weather will also be driven by a slow-down of the Gulf Stream which has led to cooler waters around the UK. He said: “We could see a much colder period until March with a multitude of snow events after snow events in response to low pressure systems clashing with the almost stagnated and cooler air that will be in place across the British Isles. “This will also be due to the changes we have seen in solar output in recent years, and how this has altered the heating of the Gulf Stream and left us with an exceptionally cold North Atlantic. “This then intrinsically alters oscillation and jet-stream patterns to leave us in these extremely cold and snowy conditions, for what is more than 'inevitability' for this winter on the basis of our current forecasting parameters.” SNOW TO HIT SOUTH IN 72 HOURS: LATEST HERE He said a “lag effect” has buffered any early onset of colder conditions although a major change is just around the corner. He said: “It is important that people start preparing for the worst instead of getting caught by surprise later. “The worst case scenario could certainly place us in a similar winter to that of 1962/63 although our forecast does indicate some milder interludes. “Another major problem this winter could also see ice storms and rather windy/blizzard conditions developing due to Gulf Stream changes, and there is also the possibility that ice floes could develop in places later in the winter, in particular, from the coast in parts of South East England.”

Netweather Snow chart for the middle of next week

Leon Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel UK, said the cold weather threatens to hold out for the rest of January.



He warned up to a foot of snow will settle over high ground in Scotland with wintry showers likely over lower ground.



He said: "The weather pattern is continuing the process of changing after the extremely mild December. "The rest of January will be a lot colder over the UK with below-average temperatures. "The jet stream looks like locking for a while to a pattern a lot further south over central and southern Europe with a blocking ridge to the west over the Atlantic.



"Scotland will see the colder change first with snow levels continuing to drop and the risk of some quite heavy snowfalls across northeast Scotland to valley levels with 20 to 30cm [one foot] possible.



"Colder Arctic winds will move south with sleet and snow showers for Scotland, northern England, Wales and parts of the Midlands to East Anglia.



"The cold and wintry weather looks set to last through next week."

GETTY Britain will be hit by heavy snow as winter finally draws in

The AA urged motorists to "act quickly" to avoid breakdowns and warned drivers to take extra care on the roads.



Spokesman Paul Watters said: "People should not be complacent, we are about to go into slip and slide mode bringing hazardous conditions.



"We would urge people to act now to get their cars ready for winter weather and to avoid flat batteries and other problems.



"The cold weather will bring a very different set of driving conditions to the wet weather we have seen." The Met Office said temperatures were due to plunge with frost, snow and ice on the cards for many over the weekend and into next week.



Forecaster Jemma Macgregor said: “It is going to feel much colder from Tuesday with widespread frosts likely on Wednesday morning.“We will see a mix of snow, sleet and hail showers across the UK wintry precipitation over high ground in Wales and further south. The Met Office said temperatures were due to plunge with frost, snow and ice on the cards for many over the weekend and into next week.Forecaster Jemma Macgregor said: “It is going to feel much colder from Tuesday with widespread frosts likely on Wednesday morning.“We will see a mix of snow, sleet and hail showers across the UK wintry precipitation over high ground in Wales and further south. “There could be some showers to lower levels and the risk of thunderstorms which we are keeping an eye on at the moment. “It is likely we will be issuing warnings for snow and ice this week.” Netweather is forecasting -13C in the north next week while most of the country shivers in lows close to or below freezing.

The weather over the past few months has left experts baffled with freakishly mild conditions leading to record rainfall and devastating floods. This serves as a warning to expect a sharp turnaround as the climate struggles to re-balance itself. Atmospheric pressure over Iceland is about to rise leading to a negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) dragging freezing air in from the Arctic. The NAO has until now remained in a positive phase, strengthening Atlantic westerly winds and steering a succession of storms into the UK. A pendulum swing to a negative phase will push storms further south over southern Europe leaving the UK open to a brutal Arctic assault. It will lead to a freezing start to spring with heavy snow and biting gales unlikely to ease up before March, experts claim. Currently the jet stream is positioned unusually far north of the UK allowing warmer air to flow in from the Atlantic. Weathermen say there are signals it will sweep southwards this month opening the floodgates for northerly winds to tear across the UK.

Latest images as snow hits across UK Spring Wed, March 22, 2017 Many places in the UK have been hit by snow as Spring begins Play slideshow SWNS.com 1 of 136 Heavy snow hits Scotland's central belt in the first days of spring

Jim Dale, forecaster for British Weather Services, said: “There is always a balancing act taking place with the weather and after the recent mild conditions there is a real risk things will turn much colder. “It is odds on that January will deliver a lot more wintry weather .” The world’s climate has been thrown into chaos by an El Nino warming pattern which set in earlier this year and continues to strengthen. Experts think it will end up being the second most powerful ever recorded with sea temperatures in the Pacific around 2C above average. The phenomenon triggered dramatic changes to the weather including weak monsoons in India, heavy rain and storms in North America and Europe including the UK, and floods in Australia. In the UK it is linked to colder than average winters although its effects so far have been dulled by other factors including the unstable jet stream. Earlier forecasts had hinted towards an early start to winter weather although the frenzied nature of the jet has so far held a major Arctic blast at bay. The Met Office said current weather models suggest a switch to much colder conditions through the start of the 2016. Its three-month outlook states that after the milder start to the year temperatures will plunge in later this month. A spokesman said: “Predictions for UK-mean temperature for the whole of the winter season show only a slight shift from the normal range of expected conditions. “In this instance, however, there are reasons to believe that this unremarkable outlook conceals the likelihood of a switch from a mild start to winter towards colder conditions later on.” Netweather said the autumn weather was dominated by El Nino which has whipped up weeks of unpredictable weather, the latest being the sixth named storm of the season -Frank - which struck over Christmas. Forecaster Ed O'Toole said: “This month is likely to see a sharp turnaround to far colder conditions which could last for a couple of weeks. “The period of cold is likely to be triggered from stratospheric breakdown in the form of a Sudden Stratospheric Warming. “Low pressure that was previously to the north of the country will be replaced by high pressure that will act as a block to December's Atlantic depressions.

“In turn, cold Arctic air will flood south from the North or East, depending upon the orientation of the high pressure, and this will likely lead to a period where snow, ice and frost - even to lower levels and to the south of the UK may disruptively occur." Weathermen fear a repeat of the worst winter in history which saw temperatures plunge to near -20C in January 1963 causing the sea to freeze off the Kent coast. It went on to be the coldest month since January 1814, with an average temperature of −2.1C. This year is already showing a terrifying similarity with the 1962/63 white out following a mild autumn. In a similar picture to this year temperatures hit double figures through October and November before plunging more than 20C by December. Scientists have partly blamed the melting Greenland ice cap allowing huge volumes of fresh water to flood into the North Atlantic. Fresh water floats on top of the ocean saltwater hindering the normal currents which are driven by a constant sinking of cold water to the ocean bed.



