Temperatures are expected to plummet to as low as -9C in parts of Scotland next week, with snow showers possible at lower levels across the east coast.
The Met Office said the freezing weather expected from Sunday night into Monday morning could end up being the coldest spell of the 2017 autumn season.
The forecaster warned that Tayside and Fife may see the “odd flake” of snow on Sunday with flurries expected at lower levels across the east coast.
However the white stuff is more likely to fall on higher ground, remote glens and in parts of inland Aberdeenshire across Saturday and Sunday.
Snowsports resorts across Scotland have been experiencing their first snowfalls of the season in the past week, with Glenshee Ski Centre getting its first “sprinkling” in recent days.
Daytime temperatures across much of Tayside and Fife will be between 7C and 8C across the weekend – with some sun expected on Saturday.
However in rural areas temperatures will plummet overnight, particularly moving into Monday morning.
A “wind chill” and “blustery showers” coming in from the north will make conditions feel even colder than they are.
Met Office meteorologist Emma Sharples said: “It is going to get generally colder. We’ll see the winds go from westerly to more northerly. Sunday in particular will feel particularly cold.
“Not only that there will be some showers as well (and) blustery showers.”
Ms Sharples said “wintry” showers will continue across Scotland overnight tonight into Saturday morning in areas “above 100m or so”.
She added there may well be “the odd one or two” flurries at lower levels in eastern Scotland at the weekend, with rain also likely.
“There could be rain, sleet, hail, snow to lower levels in some parts of Scotland”, she said.
“In more eastern parts we’ll see some showers because of the direction of the wind.
“(Parts of) Aberdeenshire will see many of the showers. You’ll be likely to see the tops of hills or mountains with a white dusting.
“Sunday into Monday, it seems stuck in this pattern.
“Temperatures quite widely in rural areas will be down to -3C or -5C. Sheltered glens across Scotland could be down to -8C or -9C. It will probably be the coldest night of the autumn.
“tt is likely there could be a frost Sunday into Monday (in Tayside and Fife) as winds ease.”
The Met Office’s long range forecast states there is “an increased risk of snow at times, more especially in the north” from now until the first week of December.
