BRITAIN is weeks away from the first major winter whiteout with 2017 shaping up to be the “year of the snowstorm”.
Temperatures are forecast to plummet next month as a bitter Arctic blast roars in from the North Pole.
Snow is forecast as far south as London with widespread frosts, freezing fog and sheet ice threatening misery across the country.
Warnings have been issued to prepare for what could be the coldest winter since the Great Freeze of 2010/11 when heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures ground the country to a standstill.
Despite last few years initially showing signs of following suit, Britain has managed to dodge a severe cold snap.
This year however is showing signs of bucking this trend with independent forecasters warning not to be lulled into a false sense of security.
Changes in the jet stream combined with a “sinking Polar Vortex” are about to unleash winter hell across the nation.
Blistering cold conditions threaten to grip swathes of the country through Christmas and into the start of next year.
UK snow forecast winter weather update
James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said Britain will be crippled by several widespread snow events through the season.
These will strike through December and into the New Year with widespread winter misery forecast into the middle of February, he warned.
A particularly active Atlantic hurricane season will drag storms in from the west which will collide with cold air over the UK triggering heavy snow, he added.
He said: “There will be a continued risk of ex-hurricane remnants or major low-pressure systems hitting our shores during November and while this will drag in some milder weather it could also lead to significant and widespread snowfall at times, as the remnants or weather systems clash with the colder air across the UK.
“We feel snow events will almost certainly be undervalued until or after they happen over the next few months.”
He said the first taste of winter could arrive as soon as the end of this month as temperatures nosedive over the coming weeks.
He said: “We expect a switch to colder conditions with an early taste of winter for some as one or two wintry blasts make an appearance later this month.
“Snow will not be restricted to the Highlands of Scotland and some moderate levels in parts of the north.
“Frosty and foggy conditions will dominate through winter and any stray weather system could bring some low-level snow and a dusting in some more unlikely spots as cold weather stagnates across our shores.”
Despite predictions for extreme weather during previous winters the UK has avoided any real impact from cold weather which instead hit the United States.
Weather-watchers must look back to 2010/2011 to find the last time Britain suffered any widespread disruption from snow and ice.
A savage blast brought record low temperatures and snow which cost the UK economy around £13 billion partly due to lack of sales in the run up to Christmas.
Flights were grounded leaving thousands of people stranded at airports while harsh conditions brought weeks of misery on the roads and transport networks.
Last year brought one of the mildest Christmas periods on record with temperatures stubbornly hovering in the mid teens through December.
A very different story awaits this year with experts predicting below-average temperatures up to the end of the year.
Arctic conditions will be driven by changes in air pressure between Iceland and the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal.
The so-called North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) affects the strength and path of westerly winds reaching the UK and the subsequent flow of air from the Arctic.
In its negative phase – which is predicted this winter – a blocking pattern prevents warmer winds reaching Europe while opening the gates to cold air from the North Pole.
Dr Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist for The Weather Company, said: “We are seeing some indications, through various indices and statistical models, that North Atlantic blocking may be a little more prevalent this year than we’ve seen in the previous four winters.
“While it is still quite early, we expect a higher frequency of cold spells this winter across northern and western Europe, especially later in the winter.”
Piers Corbyn, forecaster for WeatherAction, said the jet stream is showing signs of diving southwards allowing the polar vortex – a pool of freezing air over the Arctic – to sink across northern Europe.
He said winter is about to set in early with freezing conditions and even snow possible any time now.
He said: “We are expecting an early taste of winter this years, it is already starting to feel colder and we could see snow by the end of the month.
“This could affect large parts of the UK between now and Christmas, this is all part of an new era which we believe is going to lead to a mini ice age.
“The jet stream is behaving erratically and showing signs of diving southwards over the next few weeks allowing the Polar vortex to sink over Britain.
“Parts of this winter are shaping up to be particularly harsh.
“We can’t expect Britain, yet again, to dodge the cold blasts which over the past few years have only hit America.”
Bookies have already started slashing odds on snowfall over the next couple of months with the coldest winter on record now 4-1 from 81.
Ladbrokes is offering 1-3 on snow next month with 5-1 on Britain finally getting a white Christmas this year.
Spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said: “All bets are off when it comes to 2017 being the year of the snowstorm.
“The temperatures are beginning to drop, and the odds are following suit that winter's going to be Arctic.”