S now has fallen across parts of the UK after temperatures plunged below freezing overnight as cold air swept in from the Arctic. Heavy snow has fallen in County Durham and Cumbria in northern England, parts of Scotland and the Highlands. A light dusting has fallen in parts of the Midlands including Staffordshire and in Cheshire and Wakefield in the north. Brits expressed their delight at seeing the first flurries since the Beast from the East hit the UK back in March. Snow starts to fall near Consett, County Durham / PA The chilly snap has brought an end to the largely mild start to autumn, with people advised to dig out their warm winter clothes over the weekend. A man clears the snow off his car near Consett, County Durham / PA Daytime temperatures were hovering at about zero across the Midlands, northern England and Scotland. A postman in shorts delivers mail in the snow near Consett, County Durham / PA Even in southern parts, temperatures were around just 5C on Saturday morning (45F) with the wind chill factor meaning it felt several degrees cooler. A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for northern Scotland and there is an ice warning for Northern Ireland. Forecasters have warned of patchy ice and slush affecting some upland routes as well as rail and road disruption. Snow over the hills in Cumbria on Saturday morning / @kingbod1 Snow was forecast to dust the tops of hills in the Pennines in northern England, Snowdonia in north-west Wales, the North York Moors, and across the Scottish Highlands. But the Midlands and other parts of Northern England have also seen a smattering. Eastern parts are likely to see hail, showers and strong winds throughout Saturday, with the odd chance of a thunderstorm on Saturday, forecasters said. Met Office weather forecast October 28 Met Office forecaster Bonnie Diamond added: "We have had a pretty mild October so far and a warm start to autumn in places so it will be a big change for everybody as we go through the weekend.<doc-sep>Snow fell in parts of Scotland and north-east England on Saturday morning, as most of the UK felt much colder temperatures. Snow was seen in higher parts of the country on what one meteorologist called "some of the coldest October days in a decade". Heavy snow fell in parts of County Durham and North Yorkshire, as people who headed out early on Saturday found their cars covered and frozen. John West at the Met Office told the Press Association flurries could continue throughout the weekend. He said: "With the temperatures that we are seeing - struggling to reach double figures across the country - these are some of the coldest October days in a decade, much colder than average.<doc-sep>Parts of Britain woke up to thick snow as the country experienced one of the coldest October days in a decade. The mercury struggled to get up to double figures on Saturday as a cold snap hit, with most places recording highs of just 6C to 8C in the afternoon. The crisp autumn day marked one of the coldest in October for a decade, with snow falling in parts of northeast England and Scotland. Heavy snow fell in parts of County Durham and North Yorkshire, as people who headed out early found their cars covered and frozen. A postman wearing shorts was pictured trudging through thick snow while out delivering post near Consett, County Durham, while dog walkers wrapped up and braced the chill in nearby Greencroft. Temperatures are expected to remain chilly throughout Sunday and Monday, but the cold weather should improve from the middle of the week onwards. Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts told the Independent: “It’s a sunshine and showers story Saturday and certainly a cold story. Saturday is likely to be the coldest of the two days this weekend for most and actually will be one of the coldest October days for the last decade. “There will be particularly cold temperatures, really struggling even to get into double figures. We’ve seen some snow across northern parts of Scotland and northeast England and some sleet and snow across the Peak District and Welsh mountains. That will become less of a feature as we go through the rest of the day.” Saturday night is expected to see some showers across eastern and southern parts of the country, while western areas will stay largely dry. A postman in shorts delivers mail in the snow near Consett, County Durham, Saturday, 27 October, 2018. (Owen Humphreys/PA) Horses in a snowy field in Durham, Saturday, 27 October, 2018. (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA) With clearer skies on Sunday it is expected to be another cold day – although not as chilly as Saturday. “It’s a chilly start to the day on Sunday and there will be the odd icy patch around where there have been showers,” said Helen. “There will be more sunshine on Sunday and it will feel less cold with slightly higher temperatures and lighter winds. Any showers will be mostly rain but there could be a little bit of hail in the North. There will be further snow and showers over the Scottish hills and you couldn’t rule out some snow on higher ground elsewhere.” It will be another frosty start to the day on Monday with lots of sunshine around, but the weather is likely to become more changeable from the middle of the week onwards. Temperatures will be higher, gradually creeping up by a degree each day. Parts of the UK have enjoyed unseasonably warm conditions this autumn, with some places seeing highs of over 20C.<doc-sep>
Heavy snowfall spotted in Durham after temperatures plummet Parts of Scotland and north-east England, including County Durham and North Yorkshire, were covered with a thick blanket of snow this morning. Pictures show gritter lorries scrambling to make the treacherous roads safe to avoid travel chaos, while motorists were forced to scrape their cars as snow flurries continued to fall. And dog walkers wrapped up warmly to brave the freezing conditions. Colder temperatures have also brought snow to Aberdeenshire, just weeks after the Queen left her annual summer holiday in Balmoral. Temperatures are not expected to exceed single figures today, as wintery conditions grip the country. It comes after the UK enjoyed a hot spell earlier this month, following this summer’s heatwave. But the chilly conditions are set to continue throughout the weekend, with weather forecasters warning of more snow. John West, from the Met Office, said: "With the temperatures that we are seeing - struggling to reach double figures across the country - these are some of the coldest October days in a decade, much colder than average. The UK has been hit by a downpour of snow Dog walkers braved the snow, with one pet wearing a coat Aberdeenshire has seen snow, just weeks after the Queen left her annual summer holiday in Balmoral "We have seen some snow this morning, more up in Scotland. Aviemore has had around 1cm." Mr West said that in the north-east of England it is "mostly sleety wet snow" pictures coming in from "people out there driving this morning" but it continues to be "quite showery". The forecaster added: "It is going to be cold over the next couple of days, but will start to peter out tomorrow. UK Weather: 'Widespread frost' as temperatures plummet Wintery conditions have gripped the country