Scotland is not expected to suffer a repeat of last year’s November blizzards even when the deadly snowstorm that has claimed nine lives in the US hits this week.
More than three million homes on the east coast of the US have been left without power after the unusually early snowfall.
Around 27 inches of snow fell on some parts of Massachusetts, and at least nine people are known to have died in accidents caused by the weather.
Last year Scotland was brought to a halt by heavy snowfall in November but the Met Office has said there is unlikely to be any repeat this year.
A spokeswoman said the weather front that has caused so much chaos in the UK will reach Northern Ireland this afternoon. It will reach mainland UK by Wednesday and the east coast on Thursday.
However, she said that because it will have travelled across the Atlantic to north Africa before heading north, the worst of the weather will have dissipated by the time it hits the UK, meaning conditions will be far more benign.
Instead of snow the UK will experience wet and windy conditions, although temperatures will remain mild.
She said: ”I think we are going to be seeing some of the wind and the rain from the storm but certainly not the snow.”
She said no snow has been forecast for Scotland this month.
Authorities and transport firms are already drawing up plans to cope in case Scotland experiences a winter whiteout similar to last year.
Network Rail and ScotRail have announced they will focus their efforts on keeping the most popular rain routes running should heavy snow return.
ScotRail has invested £2 million in new technology to keep trains running. These include the UK’s first train ”power showers” which will remove snow from engines and coaches.
Warmed 75 metre-long ”polytunnels” will also be used to de-ice trains.