While we’ve been relieved with fairly mild temperatures during the first days of 2024, the year’s first cold snap is set to cover Edinburgh in a thick, wintry fog with temperatures plummeting to as low as -1 degree. Saturday (January 6) and Sunday (January 7) could witness cold temperatures, fog, and some frost.
According to The Met Office for tonight (January 4): “Cloudy though Dumfries and Galloway with occasional rain. Best of the cloud breaks through Lothians and Borders, patchy frost and fog if skies remain clear for any length of time. Minimum temperature 1 °C.”, while Friday’s (January 5) forecast looking even colder: “Lothian and Borders starting cloudy with rain or showers, but becoming drier and brighter. Mainly dry and bright through Dumfries and Galloway with sunny spells. Maximum temperature 7 °C.”
Saturday is when it really will get cold, with The Met Office commenting regarding Saturday to Monday: “A scattering of showers on Saturday, wintry on hills. Mainly dry on Sunday and Monday. Bright or sunny spells but frost becoming widespread at night.”
Saturday (January 6) will see temperatures between 4 and -1 degrees, with mist starting from 3am into Sunday night onwards . The fog and mist should continue until early Monday morning in Edinburgh, so do take care while driving.
Cold weather is set to linger in the UK for a longer period, with possible fog during the nights. The Met Office said in their long-range forecast: “Next week will begin mostly dry with variable amounts of cloud and some sunny spells. The sunniest weather is likely to be in the north and west, although here some overnight fog patches are possible. Elsewhere, probably mostly cloudy with a cold easterly breeze developing in the south.
By the middle of next week, the wind should ease and, with high pressure in charge, there should be a good deal of dry weather. Cloud amounts will continue to be quite variable, but all areas should see some sunshine at times. Much colder than recently, with frost probably becoming quite widespread and some freezing fog patches are possible in places.”