How long is the cold snap going to last?

Schools across England and Wales have shut their doors for the day and trains have been cancelled as the UK experienced its first wintry weather of the season.
Snow fell in more areas than expected, with the Met Office issuing yellow warnings for snowfall and ice.
ITV weather presenter Lucy Verasamy looks at where we can expect to see snow and how long the cold snap will last.
Where did the snow settle?
Overnight and this morning, snow settled across parts of central, southern and northern England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the far north of Scotland.
Some woke up to a dusting, others a few centimeters – and even 12cm recorded in parts of Nottinghamshire. The biggest accumulations were across higher ground.
The snow will remain in places for a few hours and will refreeze tonight, turning it icy. Some of the snow turned readily to sleet and rain and struggled to settle in urban locations where there is standing water from yesterday’s rain.
Have we had more in the south than expected?
The rain turned to sleet and snow in some areas south of the Met Office warning area – on the expectation that any sleet and snow here would be less impactful.
Some areas around the Home Counties, Chilterns and Greater London had a bit more than a dusting – as did those around the south Midlands, Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds.
At 1.30am the temperature was 11C – far too mild for snow – but this temperature dropped rapidly from around 2am coinciding with some heavier, intense rain – and turned rapidly to settling snow.
The forecast ‘scenarios’ have not been aligned with this wintry episode – the much colder air was always set but the amount and location of sleet and snow was not aligned. Just 1C can mean the difference between rain, sleet and snow.
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Where has been the most impacted?
Northern Scotland has seen the most settling snow with over 15cm accumulating – along with parts of Nottinghamshire – where around 12cm or more of snow has been recorded.
There’s also been near 10cm around Staffordshire.
Will this likely carry on throughout the day?
Any rain sleet and snow will be easing to leave a drier but colder day with limited brighter skies and lots of cloud.
It’ll feel bitter in the north winds with the Arctic air.
Any lying slushy snow and water will freeze tonight as temperatures fall leading to icy, slippery conditions.
What can we expect in the coming days?
It will stay cold and bitter with a biting wind chill – expect frosty and icy nights.
There’ll be a risk of rain turning to sleet and snow again later in the week with details becoming clearer in the next day or two.
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