Met Office forecast predicts when South Shields and South Tyneside will first see snow this winter

After a warmer than expected October, mid November has seen temperatures finally begin to fall and, with Christmas preparations starting very soon, many of us are hoping for snowfall to get us in the festive spirit.

With conditions which make snowfall more likely predicted over the weekend, the Met Office’s forecast for South Tyneside and the wider North East now shows when the weather service is expecting snowfall for the first time this winter.

As part of the Met Office’s medium to long range weather forecast, which is in place from Saturday, November 16 until Monday, November 25, the weather service says conditions are “turning more unsettled and significantly colder as we head into the weekend with low pressure probably becoming established to the east of the UK bringing rain or showers to most regions.

“The heaviest and most frequent spells of rain are most likely in the north where they are likely to turn wintry.”

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However, this is said with the caveat: “The chance of any widespread or disruptive snowfall affecting more populated areas at this stage however remains low.”

The longer term forecast, which runs from Tuesday, November 26 until Tuesday, December 10, says: “There is a greater chance of more mobile weather patterns which would see Atlantic systems periodically move across the country.

“These [are] bringing some wetter and windier interludes followed by drier periods. Some colder interludes, especially earlier in the period, are possible but overall temperatures [are] more likely to be around or above average.”