Wintry weather: How unusual is snow in April?

It might seem strange that some parts of the UK are seeing snow this late into April, but is it really that uncommon?

It's actually more common than you might think. Looking on records from 1981 to 2010, April usually sees 2.3 days of snow on average. That's actually more than the November average, which is 1.7 days!

While the chance of wintry weather does tend to decrease as April goes on, there have been significant April snow events in the past.

In 1981, the end of the month was blasted with 20-30 cm of snow widely across England, even as far south as Gloucestershire.

More recently, April 2019 saw a cold snap and snow across parts of Scotland and northern England.

This week, we're seeing cold northerly winds blow into the UK and Ireland, bringing the chance of some sleet and snow showers to northern areas.

It looks to be fairly short-lived however, with the chance of milder air winning over from the south.