The Met Office has denied rumors that a snowstorm will span 470 miles of the UK later this month, stating that it is too early to make such a prediction.
Using information from the WX Charts weather forecast viewer, the Daily Mirror and the Express both stated that a 470-mile belt of snow would fall on the UK on January 25 and 26. They called it a "snow bomb" by The Express.
The Met Office has informed Yahoo News that snow forecasting that far in advance is not feasible.
Many parts of the UK are recovering from severely snowy conditions in the first few weeks of the year, with temperatures finally creeping up this week after many places experienced below freezing in the past few days.
Temperatures plummeted to -18.9C on Saturday morning in Altnaharra, Scotland, making it the coldest January temperature in the UK for 15 years.
On reports of heavy snow later this month, a Met Office spokesperson told Yahoo News on Monday: "I’m afraid it is not possible to forecast snow accurately that far ahead.
"When looking at forecasts beyond five days into the future, the chaotic nature of the atmosphere starts to come into play – small events currently over the Atlantic can have potentially significant impacts on our weather in the UK in several days' time.
"Therefore, whilst we can still forecast the general feel of the weather to a relatively high level of accuracy using our ensemble models, it becomes harder to offer local detail to as high a level of accuracy as our shorter range forecasts."
In its own long range forecast, for 19 to 28 January, the Met Office says there will be "some frost and fog in the south and east", along with rain and winds and “a very small chance of colder, drier, but perhaps wintry, easterly winds”.
For the period between 29 January and 12 February, the Met Office predicts "an unsettled, milder and windier than average period", and suggests that snow is a possibility.
"The potential for brief colder spells with associated frost, ice and snow remains, following any deep lows crossing the region," it said.
Following an ice cold period that brought huge transport disruption and severe flooding to many areas., temperatures rose to double figures this week.
Overnight temperatures increased to 10C in Scotland, although much of England and Wales still saw temperatures dip to -1C overnight – which is still a rise on temperatures felt over the weekend.
The Met Office said Wednesday should be brighter for much of the country, with temperatures reaching up to 11C – slightly above average for this time of year – but breezier conditions will be felt in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and later in northern England.
Why is it tricky to forecast snow accurately?
The Met Office says forecasters examine three factors when forecasting snow - where the air has come from, very heavy precipitation and when warm air meets cold air.
Because of this range of indicators, it says predicting snow in the UK "can be one of the trickier forecasts to do accurately".
The Met Office said: "Because of the UK’s location, where the air comes from is incredibly important when it comes to determining if snow is possible.
"Being surrounded by water also adds another factor into predicting snow chances in the UK, it may not feel like it if you dip your toe in, but the water in the seas around the UK is well above freezing and that affects the temperature of the air close to the surface which can determine how much snow is in the forecast."
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