Temperatures will drop as the week progresses, with a yellow warning for snow issued by the Met Office covering Cumbria along with most of Northern and Central England, Northern Ireland and most of Wales and The UK Health Security Agency issuing as Cold-Health Alert.
The warning runs from 6am on Thursday for 24 hours and stretches from Cumbria and the Scottish border down to Stoke-on-Trent and Nottinghamshire with the weather warning currently in place until 6am Friday.
There is a risk of power cuts, travel delays and some rural communities becoming cut off, the forecaster have said.
Chris Almond the Met Office deputy chief meteorologist said: "While the early part of this week will see some rain, at times heavy, gradually sinking southwards, there's an increased signal for wintry hazards as we move through the week as cold air from the north moves over the UK.
"It's from Thursday that the snow risk becomes more potentially impactful, as mild air attempts to move back in from the south, bumping into the cold air and increasing the chance of snow developing on the leading edge.
"While there are still lots of details to work out, the initial snow risk looks highest in northern England and Wales from Thursday.
The UK Health Security Agency has Cold-Health Alerts in force for parts of England from Wednesday, highlighting the possibility of significant impacts for the health and the social care sector.
Amy Shaw, National Network Manager at National Highways, said: “Freezing conditions bring hazards such as snow and ice, so take every possible step to understand your journey in advance and allow lots of extra time when travelling to prepare for the unexpected.
“It is therefore always important to plan ahead for your journey, check the weather forecasts, and if weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour and take extra care.”
National Highways has also reminded motorists to keep TRIP in mind ahead of journeys – Top-up: oil, water, screenwash; Rest: rest every two hours; Inspect: Inspect tyres and lights and Prepare: check your route and the weather forecast.
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