UK weather: Blast of cold to sweep in this weekend bringing sleet, snow and sub-zero temperatures Another cold spell is expected in from the north and east this weekend Temperatures will plummet from Sunday, and will continue into next week There will also increased risk of snow showers from Monday After an early taste of spring at the start of this week, Britain had been hoping to wave goodbye to the last of the winter weather. However it seems it is not yet time to pack away the thermals, as another cold spell is expected to spread in from the north and east this weekend, and will continue into next week. Temperatures are expected to plummet from Sunday onwards, with winds turning to a more north-easterly or easterly direction, dragging in bitterly cold air from northern Russia. Dogs and their owners arriving in the rain for day one of Crufts. Today's rain is expected to descend into more wintery conditions from Sunday According to the MeteoGroup - the Press Association's weather forecaster - widespread overnight frosts are expected from Sunday night onwards with daytime temperatures struggling to rise much above freezing in places on Monday. There will also be an increased risk of a few snow showers during the start of next week. A spokesman said: 'In the meteorological world, winter officially starts on December 1 and ends on the last day of February. Temperatures then usually pick up through March and April as days get steadily longer and the strength of the sun increases. However, spells of cold, frosty and even snowy weather are not uncommon during the first half of spring. After an early taste of spring at the start of this week, Britain had been hoping to wave goodbye to the cold weather According to the MeteoGroup - the Press Association's weather forecaster - widespread overnight frosts are expected from Sunday night onwards with daytime temperatures struggling to rise much above freezing in places on Monday In fact, it is statistically more likely to have snow falling at Easter than it is to have a white Christmas. This is because of an increased frequency of northerly and easterly winds compared to winter, a symptom of atmospheric blocking. This winter has seen a fair amount of snow across much of the country, particularly during the months of January and February. According to the forecasters temperatures in the three month period between December and February were slightly colder than average with a Central England Temperature (CET) of around 3.8C, 0.8C below the 1981-2010 long-term average. Liam Dutton, Channel 4 weather forecaster, said winter would return with a 'real sting in its tail, providing a wintry combination of snow, frost and ice.' Despite the cold blast, forecasters say most places look likely to stay dry and bright with some sunshine, with any snow showers largely confined to northern and eastern coastal counties Liam Dutton, Channel 4 weather forecaster, said winter would return with a 'real sting in its tail, providing a wintry combination of snow, frost and ice' He said: On Tuesday, we had our warmest day of the year so far, with Trawsgoed, Ceredigion reaching 17.5C in the sunshine. Much of England and Wales enjoyed blue skies and spring-like warmth, with temperatures generally in the range of 11-15C. The cause of rising temperatures this week has been a plume of warm air being scooped up from Iberia. However despite bringing warmth, progressively, it's also moistened up the atmosphere, introducing cloud and outbreaks of rain.' Despite the cold blast, forecasters say most places look likely to stay dry and bright with some sunshine, with any snow showers largely confined to northern and eastern coastal counties.