Skip to content

Snow and ice warnings across Scotland

A yellow alert for icy conditions in the Highlands is due to come in to force until 10:00 on Sunday and there is a further warning for heavy snow for central and southern Scotland from midnight on Sunday to 06:00 on Monday.

Heavy snow and ice are expected to cause disruption across Scotland over the weekend, with temperatures forecast to drop as low as -10C.

A yellow warning for snow in Shetland is in place until 18:00 while a yellow alert for icy conditions in the Highlands is due to come in to force from 16:00 on Saturday until 10:00 on Sunday.

There is a further warning for heavy snow for central and southern Scotland from midnight on Sunday to 06:00 on Monday.

The Met Office said the greatest risk would be in southern and eastern Scotland where up to 5cm could routinely accumulate, increasing to between 10 to 20cm over high ground.

The Met Office has warned of difficult travel conditions.

Rain or sleet is more likely near some northern and eastern coasts.

The forecaster said the conditions could lead to power cuts and travel delays.

Friday's Scottish Championship fixture between Airdrieonians and Falkirk was postponed because of a frozen pitch in Airdrie.

Saturday's second tier match at Greenock Morton and League Two games at Elgin and Peterhead have also been called off due to the conditions.

SNS A picture taken from inside a goalmouth of a football stadium. It shows snow lying on the pitch with a red stand in the background. SNS
A match between Airdrieonians and Falkirk was postponed due to a frozen pitch

Forecasters said temperatures could drop as low as -10C in parts of rural Scotland overnight.

A yellow warning for snow covering much of the central belt on Sunday was removed by Met Office forecasters.

A more severe amber warning for snow is in place just south of the border between 21:00 on Saturday and midnight on Sunday.

The Met Office said it could lead to serious disruption, including power cuts, road delays, travel cancellations and rural communities being cut off.

White car stuck in road unable to move forward or back due to ice which is visible on the road. The car door is open. There is a parked blue car near it and houses at the side of the road.
This car was stuck on a road in Rutherglen for more than half an hour as the driver was unable to move forward or backwards due to ice on the road

Network Rail said that while it was expecting a "harsh frost" on Saturday morning, it expected timetables to operate as normal.

It warned of up to 15cm of snow on the West Coast Main Line, south of Motherwell and Carstairs, and in higher areas like Shotts and Livingston.

Network Rail also said inland areas of Fife could see up to 10cm, while heavy rain is also likely along the east coast.

It said it was ready to respond to any weather-related incidents but encouraged passengers to check for updates before travelling.

First Minister John Swinney posted on X: "Please follow all of the warnings about ice and snow this weekend and stay safe."

Jana Bartschova Icicles in the Cairnsmore of Fleet Hill Walk in Galloway. They are clear and white in colour with frozen grass which is green with white tips in the background and a blue sky.Jana Bartschova
Temperatures in Dumfries and Galloway fell to -6C earlier in the week

The cold snap led to temperatures of -6C at Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway on Thursday night.

Snow fell across the Highlands and Aberdeenshire, with three hillwalkers having to be rescued in the Cairngorms after they got into difficulty.

The A815 near Dunoon was closed after an HGV crashed into a gas main, while a bus left the road in near the Brig O' Waithe in Orkney due to high winds and ice.

The Far North railway line was also been closed between Inverness and the Kyle of Lochalsh due to floods and landslips earlier this week.

A bus leans in a roadside ditch, surrounded by snow and ice
A bus left the road near the Brig O' Waithe in Orkney

Weather presenter Kirsty McCabe, editor of MetMatters at the Royal Meteorological Society, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: "There's potentially a lot of snow to come, but as well as the snow there always the risk of freezing rain.

"You can get black ice, really hazardous conditions on the roads.

"It's not especially unusual, it's not record-breakingly cold, but it's not great as Monday for many is going to be the first day back at school or back at work.

"There will be this legacy of wintry weather and nasty conditions."

Glasgow City Council said its gritting crews were out at 20:00 on Friday night, then at 01:00 and 05:00 on Saturday morning treating priority carriageways, footpaths and cycle lanes.

It said: "The Met office has issued weather warnings over the last 24 hours and we would urge our citizens to be aware of the conditions being forecast.

"We follow our agreed winter maintenance plan but continue to ask anyone using the road network to use the greatest possible care when travelling and be aware of the weather forecast.

"Even if it were feasible to grit all the city's 1,900km of roads and 3,100km of footways every day, wintry weather will always pose risks to road users and pedestrians."