Scotland is bracing for its coldest night in more than a decade as a big freeze which brought weather chaos to Tayside and Fife endures.
Forecasters haven’t ruled out temperatures of -20C in the country from Wednesday into Thursday, a low that hasn’t been recorded since December 23 2010.
Avalanches were reported on local hills, while schools and Covid-19 vaccination centres were forced to close their doors.
Due to half-term holidays, Angus and Perth and Kinross schools will stay empty until February 16, however Dundee City Council has decided to open schools from Thursday.
The last time minus 20 °C was recorded in the UK was 23rd December 2010 ❄️
Tonight will be very #cold right across the country and #temperatures in some Scottish glens could fall close to those seen in 2010 📉
As of 1800 it is already minus 13.8 °C in Kinbrace! 🥶 pic.twitter.com/RKJEnmFf7P
— Met Office (@metoffice) February 10, 2021
Dundee’s nearest snow measuring station, Strathallan Airfield in Perthshire, measured 18cm of snowfall on Wednesday.
However Tom Morgan, a Met Office expert, said local reports of as much as a 30cm could be accurate.
He added: “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of snow over Tayside and Dundee this week and, in terms of how much has fallen, our station at Strathallan Airfield has recorded around 18cm.
“I would suspect that higher measurements people have made in Dundee could be more accurate and a good representation of the area.
“Snow drifts caused by winds can often measure a lot deeper, so a foot or so is not out of the question.”
More snow could be on the way
While meteorologists predict that the worst of the snow is behind us, there are still signs that more showers could be on the way.
Tom said: “It looks like it’s going to stay cold through the week and before next week there is a chance that we could see some more snow, although it should be less disruptive.
“Thursday looks to be a lot brighter and sunnier, it should be a nice day for a walk if that’s something people want to do.
“Then there could be more snow on Friday, and a spell of snowy showers on Sunday, as well as a chance of freezing rain.”
