Heavy snow forecast for North Yorkshire this weekend - find out how long it will last

The national meteorological organisation said that heavy snow on Saturday, followed by a rapid thaw and subsequent rain on Saturday night, may cause some disruption.

The warning, which is in effect from 4am on Saturday until 9am on Sunday states that outbreaks of rain will spread north-eastwards on Saturday, preceded by a spell of snow across parts of northern England and Scotland.

Whilst snow will become increasingly confined to higher elevations with time, there is the chance of a transient period of snow to low levels in some areas, with perhaps as much as 5-10 cm accumulating in places, especially the Vale of York, before turning back to rain.

Temporary snow accumulations of 10-20 cm are possible on ground above 150m, with perhaps as much as 20-40 cm above 300m.

In conjunction with strengthening winds, difficult driving conditions are likely, especially over higher level routes, with possibly some interruptions to power supplies.

In addition, the rapid thaw of lying snow as milder air arrives, with perhaps an additional 20-40 mm of rain in some upland areas during Saturday night, will lead to a greater likelihood of rainfall impacts later in the period.

Temperatures are likely to range from zero degrees in the early hours of Saturday morning to 12 degrees on Sunday.