Cockermouth (Cumbria) weather

Headline:

Cold and rather cloudy with a few wintry flurries.

Today:

Chilly and widely cloudy with patchy rain and drizzle soon clearing to leave a mainly dry day. Scattered showers feed in from the east through the afternoon, turning wintry across the higher ground. Feeling cold, with brisk easterly winds. Maximum temperature 6 °C.

Tonight:

Remaining cloudy with further outbreaks of rain and drizzle, though a few clearer spells allow for patchy frost to form in rural parts overnight. Feeling chilly, though winds gradually easing. Minimum temperature 1 °C.

Wednesday:

A chilly start, then staying cloudy with further patchy rain, and perhaps some hill snow across the Pennines. The best of any brightness to the lee of high ground. Maximum temperature 6 °C.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

High pressure continues though remaining rather cloudy. Turning a little brighter each day, with a few wintry showers at times. Feeling cold with some frosty nights by the weekend.

South or southeasterly winds are likely at the start of this period, and will maintain below average temperatures and often cloudy conditions. There is a chance of even colder conditions developing temporarily, which would see more wintry showers, especially in northeastern areas. Meanwhile, frontal zones, bringing milder conditions and rain, will attempt to move in from the west or southwest. Early in this period these look likely to have limited influence over the UK (apart from the far SW which may already be milder by this point). If, or when, they push further northeastwards the chance of some snow increases. The transition between colder and milder conditions remains uncertain, but towards the end of this period, the milder, wetter conditions are likely to have spread across much of the country.

Although there is a small risk of colder conditions lingering for a time at the start of this period, it is most likely that an unsettled theme will probably have become established, with weather systems moving close to or across the UK. This will mean bands of rain and perhaps periods of strong winds spreading in from the west, interspersed with some drier and brighter interludes, but likely bringing above average rainfall amounts overall. Temperatures are most likely to become close to or a little above average by early March.