I can now confirm that Scotland is currently experiencing its coldest January weather for 15 years, and tonight could see even lower temperatures before milder conditions arrive at the weekend.
Altnaharra reached -14.6°C this morning – pushing past the previous January extreme of -14.3°C recorded in Braemar on January 31, 2019. This makes this morning’s figure the lowest January temperature since the severe cold of 2010 when the mercury hit -22.3°C on January 8, 2010 in Altnaharra.
The past few nights have been challenging for forecasting overnight lows due to breezier conditions and patchy cloud cover, which have also brought occasional snow showers to the north.
Tonight, however, snow cover, clearer skies and lighter winds will create ideal conditions for even lower extremes in the north.
The coldest spots will be in the north and east Highlands, west Aberdeenshire, and southern Moray, where a few locations could approach -20°C.
Further south, temperatures won’t be as extreme but will still drop significantly, reaching around -8°C in colder areas of Lanarkshire, the Borders, Perthshire, West Lothian, and Midlothian.
Meanwhile, the west will begin to see the first signs of milder air on Saturday. Rain along the west coast and the Hebrides will bring temperatures up to around 8°C. As this rain moves inland over Argyll, Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire, and inland Ayrshire, it may initially fall as snow before transitioning to rain at lower elevations.
By Sunday, milder conditions will take hold across much of the country, though northern and eastern areas will remain chilly at around 5°C – although a notable uplift from the subzero daytime highs of recent days. The Hebrides could reach 10°C by Sunday evening, accompanied by stronger winds and rain.
On Monday, milder air will sweep across the whole country, with afternoon highs potentially reaching 13°C in parts of Moray and Aberdeenshire. This will also bring a big thaw to the ice and snow.
Looking further ahead, milder conditions are expected to dominate in the short term, though there are some indications of colder weather again later in the month. I’ll keep an eye on developments and keep you updated!
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