Will US snowstorm hit the UK?

  • Weather
New York City experienced record-setting snowfall on Saturday as snowstorm Jonas hit Credit: Ronnie Esplin/PA

This weekend a blizzard with hurricane-force winds hit the US, dumping up to two feet of snow in some areas and affecting 85 million people across the country.

Now with the remnants of the storm due to head across the Atlantic people are wondering how the UK might be affected.

  • Will US snowstorm hit the UK?

The short answer is no - the snow won't survive the journey across the Atlantic. The relatively 'mild' Atlantic will mean the snow will turn to rain.

We are due the remnants of snowstorm 'Jonas' by Tuesday - by then we're expecting gale force winds and heavy, persistent rain exacerbating the risk of flooding in many western and northern counties.

  • Why is the US more prone to severe snow?

The low pressure (or storm Jonas) track means that the eastern side of the US remains on the 'cold' side of this weather system, dragging in polar air on north-easterly winds. The air stays bitterly cold as it journeys across the freezing cold Canada landmass.

When such a system reaches the UK we are on the 'warm' or southern side resulting in relatively mild south-westerly winds. Even when it tracks to the east of us resulting in cold north-easterly winds (as in the US) the air is heavily modified by the journey across the sea.

The US has a much colder/snowier scenario as it is a continent. The sea is 'warmer' than land this time of year so being an island reduces our chance of snow being generated in the same way.