Much of Scotland and north-east England will wake up today to a scene straight out of Narnia. Snow is already falling in some places and is on the way for many more, the start of what is predicted to be the earliest significant snowfall since 1993.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings today for north-east Scotland, stretching as far south as Lincolnshire and by Saturday covering the entire eastern side of Britain, with the possibility of a 2.5cm covering of snow on lower ground, and 10cm or more on hills.
As the week goes on snow could fall across the Midlands and into Wales, and coastal areas could have bitterly cold rain and sleet. The current cold snap is expected to last at least a week.
The run of mild winters, when many areas barely saw heavy frost, meant many agencies and services were badly wrongfooted by last winter's heavy snowfall: councils ran out of grit and salt and had to buy emergency supplies. Gritting stopped completely on many minor roads.
A Highways Agency spokesman said this time they would be ready: More areas have our new state of the art winter vehicles, and we have reviewed salt stock levels and taken action where needed.
Even when roads have been treated, drivers should still take care, especially on stretches where there could be a greater risk of ice forming.
Some areas are still struggling to complete repairs on the many potholes caused by last winter's freeze.
The cold north-easterly wind means daytime temperatures across much of Scotland and north-east England will struggle to rise above freezing, and in central London by the weekend it will be 2C, well below the seasonal average.
