Haydock Park Racecourse (Merseyside) weather

Headline:

Often sunny today but very cold, ice and frost persisting.

Today:

A very cold, frosty and icy start for many. Plenty of crisp winter sunshine today but perhaps the odd snow flurry in Pennine regions. Feeling cold with temperatures struggling to rise much above freezing and staying sub-zero over higher ground. Maximum temperature 2 °C.

Tonight:

Temperatures quickly falling below freezing this evening with a widespread and severe frost forming. Starry skies overnight but perhaps a wintry shower in coastal regions later. Icy stretches in places. Minimum temperature -7 °C.

Tuesday:

A very cold start with another severe frost. Mainly dry with isolated wintry showers but occasional longer spells of rain or snow later, albeit probably mostly light. Turning slightly milder. Maximum temperature 5 °C.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Largely dry to start Wednesday but turning unsettled thereafter. Periods of heavy rain or snow, perhaps bringing significant travel disruption at times. Turning windier with a chance of gales.

A changeable period is expected, with Atlantic frontal systems occasionally affecting the UK, bringing spells of rain, probably preceded by snow in some areas, this more likely in northern and eastern parts. Some significant snowfall is possible in places, particularly on northern hills. These low pressure systems could also bring some strong winds. These will be interspersed with quieter, drier interludes under transient ridges of high pressure, with the potential for frost, and wintry showers along coasts exposed to northerly winds. After a cold start, temperatures will tend to trend closer to average, especially in the south, such that the frequency of wintry hazards may reduce slightly. However, there is a hint late in this period that it may briefly turn more widely drier and colder again.

The outlook through the latter part of January and into the start of February is very uncertain, with no strong indication for any particular weather pattern to dominate. However, a broadly westerly regime seems more likely than not. As such, conditions are most likely to be changeable. Spells of wet, windy and mild weather are likely at times, along with some colder, drier interludes with overnight frost and fog. There is a hint that this period may start off largely dry and cold though. Snow and ice remain possible, especially in central and northern parts of the UK, but the chance of these is generally lower than earlier in January.