Two weather warnings issued for snow and ice in West Sussex
Forecasters say flurries are set to sweep down over the weekend
Last updated 4th Feb 2021
West Sussex is being told to expect a snowy weekend and start to next week - with two weather warnings being issued for the county by the Met Office.
The first yellow alert, which lasts from 12pm on Saturday (February 6th) to midnight on Sunday (February 7th), covers the vast majority of the county with the exception of a small area around Bognor, Selsey, the Manhood Peninsula and Thorney Island.
Forecasters have said that show showers from the far north-east will move southwards as the weekend goes on, with the chance of heavier snow for a time in the South East.
Most parts will see between 5 and 10cm of the white stuff, though this could potentially increase to 15cm in some areas.
That warning is followed by a second one in force between midnight and 11.59pm on Monday (February 8th), which only covers north-eastern areas of the county such as Horsham, Crawley and Mid Sussex.
Then, easterly winds are likely to bring more showers inland, with the potential for 1-4cm more snow - perhaps as much as 7cm over higher ground.
What can we expect?
There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel
There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off
A small chance that untreated pavements and cycle paths become impassable
Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services
Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths
Here's what the Met Office is saying:
For Saturday and Sunday:
"Cold air, along with snow showers to low levels pushing inland from the North Sea, is expected to spread south during the weekend.
"Not all locations will see snow, with the showers likely to miss some places altogether.
"In addition to the showers, there is a chance that an extended period of more persistent snowfall could impact parts of the Midlands and southeast England overnight Saturday and through Sunday.
"This is all likely to bring areas of accumulating snow through the period with some icy stretches developing, with some parts seeing 5-10 cm, possibly 15 cm of snow.
"Although disruption from this event could occur anywhere within this region, the Midlands and south-east England is the area most likely to see disruptive snow accumulating more widely, from later Saturday until the middle of Sunday."
For Monday:
"With the more persistent snow from Sunday in the south-east pulling away, the UK is expected to be affected by a cold, easterly wind, with snow showers.
"These will develop over sea areas and be blown inland, with some places possibly seeing quite frequent although mainly light showers. Some places however will miss these altogether.
"Where they do occur, 1-4 cm of additional snow is most probable for the majority of areas, perhaps 3-7 cm over higher ground exposed to the east."