Wales Feed

Where have all the birds gone?

2012-01-23T11:19:38+00:00

As the milder weather continues, our wildlife is becoming increasingly confused with the fact that we are still actually in winter.

Yesterday I visited Merthyr Mawr with my 2 year old son and his friend for a spot of 'dune surfing' on a snow sledge - hard work dragging/ carrying him back up to the top each time but good exercise and I probably burned off more calories than the fitness 'boot camp' that arrived later!

But getting back to the wildlife...on our way to the dunes, I noticed the verges were full of flowering snowdrops, but aside from the unseasonally early blooms, I didn't see many birds?

This was in stark contrast to a recent visit to Penbontrhydyfothau in North Pembrokeshire. The weather was bitterly cold with NE winds and Penbontrhydyfothau lies in a pretty shady valley but prone to frosts.

As a result the garden bird feeders, packed full of peanuts were absolutely buzzing with life - with non-stop visits from blue tits, great tits, coal tits, house sparrows and nuthatch. I also saw my first bullfinch of the year, such a plump and beautiful bird (the male anyway) but rarely seen these days.

I'd not seen that many birds in a single garden for years, especially when compared to my relatively quiet garden in Porthcawl where frosts are rare - thanks to the close proximity of the Bristol Channel.

Apart from crows, seagulls, the odd territorial robin and occasionally alarmed female blackbird diving into the hedge - I've hardly seen anything of real interest in my garden all winter long.

It made me think about a recent email I received to wales.nature@bbc.co.uk from a gentleman who was very concerned about the lack of house sparrows in his garden. A once thriving population, basically vanished from his garden during the autumn.

The RSPB have also been inundated with similar enquiries asking 'where have all the garden birds gone?'

Don't panic, it's not down to some mysterious migration pattern, an increase in the local cat population or the neighbours having tastier morsels on their bird feeders - it's simply due to the fact that birds are currently finding easy pickings out in the countryside. Birds in the countryside? I know, it's absurd!

The mild weather means that there are still plenty of insects around and the ground is still soft enough for birds to easily forage for their favourite bugs and grubs.

Yesterday I even found a bright green caterpillar chomping its way through an exotic plant I've been carefully nurturing in time for summer.

I'd put it in the garage to protect it from frost and mistakenly assumed it would be safe as the leaves are covered in fine, spikes (which would make them fairly unappealing to most creatures) but this little critter was right at home, so perhaps he came with the plant?

I put up some fat balls outside for the birds a month ago and they are still intact, vitrually untouched - so the birds are clearly finding food elsewhere.

However, we're not out of the woods yet and if the weather does suddenly cool down - food will literally become scarce overnight and birds will once again flock to our gardens, towns and cities for those life saving handouts.

So, don't stop putting food out altogether - but equally don't worry if your feeders aren't busy.

Lyndsey Maiden, a warden from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales has been in touch with some peculiar wildlife observations in South Wales such as a robin sitting on a nest and currently incubating 5 eggs in Bridgend.

It would good to know what the earliest record of a fledgling in Wales is, as we might just have some local contenders in our midst.

Magpies have been spotted flying around with nesting materials in their beaks and in Morriston Park a nuthatch has been seen flying in and out of a nesting hole.

Meanwhile in the city, coots are mating and building nests at Bute East Dock in Cardiff.

A hedgehog has been spotted out and about in Carmarthenshire and more and more birds are now beginning their dawn chorus including collared doves, song thrushes, blackbirds and robins.

Personally, I'm still hoping we do get some snow in February so I can try out the sledge on snow rather than sand but the Met Office seems to be 50/50 at the moment - depending on which weather model you opt for - remaining mild with occasional cold snaps or snow with hard frosts from the north east.

I'd love to hear about your unusual and unseasonal wildlife sightings so please leave yours in the comments box below or drop me a mail at wales.nature@bbc.co.uk

Autumn wildlife on strike

2011-12-05T10:46:27+00:00

November was incredibly mild this year which has had a knock on effect on our wildlife in Wales.

Lyndsey Maiden from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) has been in touch with some examples of unseasonal behaviour and sightings.

Whilst our summer visitors have left us and our winter visitors such as fieldfares and redwings have arrived, it would seem that not all our wildlife is aware that winter is on the horizon.

This November has been unseasonably warm which has meant that some animals such as bats and hedgehogs have delayed their winter hibernation.

With plenty of insects still around this may not currently be a huge concern although a sudden drop in temperature may leave some animals out in the cold.

Bats would normally be in hibernation by now but both pipistrelle and daubenton's bats have been seen flying around in Carmarthenshire and Swansea. Image by Amy Lewis.

Bats would normally be hibernating at this time of year and yet WTSWW have received reports of a Daubentons bat in Swansea and Lyndsey Maiden of the Trust has seen pipistrelle bats flying in Carmarthenshire.

The Trust has even received reports of frogs mating in Carmarthen.

Many plants are still producing flowers, with sightings of greater stitchwort, red campion, knapweed, cow parsley and hogweed producing new growth and flowers.

Southern hawker dragonflies and red admirals are still flying on sunny days as are wasps and other small invertebrates which would normally be dying off.

A red admiral enjoying the November sunshine at Boverton. Image by Sue.

You may have noticed that trees such as hazels are still keeping their leaves at the moment or even daffodils coming into flower. All of this unusual behaviour seems to be down to the unseasonably warm weather.

There are indications that this is part of a longer term trend and whilst this is not the warmest November on record this is probably due to the El Nina effect cooling us down.

The Wildlife Trusts are concerned about the robustness of wildlife being able to cope with an unpredictable climate. Our unusual weather will put pressures on nature's systems and it will take time to see how she copes.

If you see any more unusual sightings please send your reports to WTSWW's Facebook page.

December looks like a return to normality though with a wintry weather forecast for the week ahead and temperatures today struggling to get above 6° C for much of Wales.

Up and down like a yo-yo

2011-01-04T16:17:26+00:00

Well first of all, a very Happy New Year to you all!

Most of us ended up with a white Christmas, although no fresh snow fell in Wales on 25 December.

We haven't got all the figures in yet but it looks like last month was the coldest in Wales for at least 100 years and for central England, the coldest December since 1890 with a mean temperature of -0.7 Celsius!

The central England temperature records (CET) date back to 1659.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but despite all the snow - it was much drier and sunnier than normal. In fact rainfall in Wales was less than a third of the monthly average.

Over the next few days temperatures are going to be up and down like a yo-yo. Some of us are in for a soaking too and not just rain. There is more sleet and snow on the way, especially on Friday and the Met Office has issued a weather watch.

The snow could cause some disruption for a few hours but it won't last and rain and milder conditions are expected by the weekend as low pressure moves in from the south west.

Some of you might be joining in with the BBC Stargazing event which is happening tonight and tomorrow night. It looks like tomorrow night is your best bet with some gaps in the cloud. Find out more about this event in Gulls blog.

And finally if you missed my brand new series of Weatherman Walking - don't despair! You can watch again on BBC iplayer and get all the info for each walk on the website.

Derek

Derek's Xmas forecast

2010-12-21T15:37:46+00:00

My grandad always looked forward to today - the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, because he knew that after today, the days would slowly get longer as the sun moved north again.

There was also a lunar eclipse this morning - the first in three years and few places in the UK remained cloud free, long enough for people to see it.

Hatti Woakes captured this image of the eclipse over Fishguard today.

You may be fed up with all the snow but at least everything looks brighter when covered under a blanket of snow and as Roy Noble said "It's the only time you don't have to worry about the state of your garden"

There is more snow to come tonight and tomorrow morning - most of it in the north and east of Wales, Powys and also Pembrokeshire with a risk of further significant falls.

5 to 10 cm is possible in places (2 to 4 inches) which could lead to further disruption so keep an eye on the forecast.

Wednesday afternoon should become generally drier and brighter with some sunshine and after that, we should have the seen worst of the snow for a while although it will remain very cold.

Christmas Eve will probably be dry and bright with just a few wintry showers on some Irish sea coasts.

If you put money on a white Christmas this year, I'm afraid it looks like you'll end up out of pocket because it's going to be dry, but there will definitely be snow lying on the ground.

Christmas Day will also be bright with some sunshine and light winds so ideal for a walk after your Christmas lunch but take care as it will be very icy and freezing fog patches will be slow to clear.

Expect a widespread, hard frost overnight with some extremely low temperatures possibly -15 to -20 Celsius inland.

Boxing Day should start dry and bright but there is a risk of heavy snow and strong winds spreading from the west later in the afternoon and evening, with blizzards and drifting snow. As always there is some uncertainty in the forecast so stayed tuned to the BBC for updates.

Thereafter it should turn less cold with a thaw and some rain in the run up to the New Year but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the cold air has another swipe at us.

Derek

Your snow pics

2010-12-21T10:19:53+00:00

Well, it looks as if we've seen the worst of the snow for the time being but we could be in for a little bit more on Wednesday.

Aside from all the chaos the snow causes; it also dramatically alters the landscape - transforming the mundane into something very dramatic.

I found myself getting repeatedly lost on Saturday morning trying to escape Cardiff and get onto the slippery M4.

As I walked to my van, I felt like I was in a disaster movie - with abandoned cars and snow everywhere I looked, but no people!

The normally busy roads were eerily quiet aside from the occasional jack-knifed delivery lorry or car skidding to escape the snow.

Once I'd dug my van out and got going, the fun really began. I've never missed so many turns in all my life but all familiarity vanished.

Everything looked completely different and with road signs covered in snow, it made navigating, let alone driving - very tricky indeed.

*If you're on an icy hill, keep a steady speed all the way up - don't brake or stop on the steepest section* Sorry, but I had to get that off my chest!

You've all been very busy, getting out and about and taking some amazing photos, so here are a few taken during the recent snow flurries:

A dramatic snow scene taken by Nigel Lewis.

Merthyr Mawr bathed in glorious sunshine at noon on Monday by Andrew Owen.

A temperature reading of -17C in an car on Monday morning in Bala town centre by Keith Humph.

Pontsticill Reservoir on Sunday, taken from the Brecon Mountain Railway Station by Tim Borman of Church Village.

A swan finds out the hard way in Roath Park lake! Photo by Jo Bird in Cardiff

That's it for now. Keep them coming - wales.nature@bbc.co.uk or add your favourite snaps to our Flickr group.

Thanks

Gull

Icy rivers

2010-12-09T09:54:45+00:00

With all the cold weather and heavy frosts; rivers across Wales are turning to ice.

Here is the River Ely in Penarth as you've never seen it before (or perhaps you have? Let us know and leave a comment below)

Tina Crocker sent in this amazing shot of the River Ely in Penarth - completely frozen over with snow on top.

Another shot of the frozen River Ely in Penarth.

Nicolas McDowall has also been in touch reporting ice flows on the River Wye, near Tintern - a sight he's not seen in 20+ years of living there. Check his blog for photos.

Ice circles that formed just below a weir on the River Amman, Ammanford. Image by Roy Baylis

Meanwhile Neil Law reports that the River Severn is also frozen around the bridge at Worcester.

Send in your frozen watery pics to wales.nature@bbc.co.uk

Warming up

2010-12-08T15:48:55+00:00

Last night there was another widespread frost with temperatures at Trawscoed in Ceredigion dipping to minus 9 Celsius!

The cold and icy weather is not everyone's cup of tea but the frost is pretty to look at. If you're fed up with the cold and scraping the frost off your car windscreen - you'll be happy to know that a change is on the way.

The cold air over us at the moment is going to move away to the east over the next few days replaced by milder air from the Atlantic.

Bob Hyett took this photo this morning at Wenvoe, Vale of Glamorgan, when it was -5C.

So after tonight, temperatures are going to rise by a few degrees with a thaw of lying snow but higher temperatures in the hills and mountains could lead to falling ice from frozen waterfalls.

Low cloud, mist and fog will become more likely too as the milder and moister air flows over the frozen ground.

Mind you, it looks like the change to milder weather is only a blip. Next week will turn colder again with north-easterly winds and I wouldn't be surprised if there was more snow before Christmas.

Derek

Saving energy

2010-12-08T09:40:15+00:00

The CCW are asking us all to lend a helping hand to our wildlife and in particular the birds, during this cold snap.

Birds use up precious energy flying away from us when spooked, so please bare that in mind next time you want to get a closer look at something.

As the ground freezes over, food becomes incredibly scarce and our feathered friends begin to move into areas that we humans also like to frequent such as parks and gardens.

Wildfowl (ducks, geese and swans) in particular will be looking for areas of open water on ponds, lakes and reserves.

Due to the more severe weather in the north and east of Britain, birds will also be flying west to areas in Wales to try and find places where they can still feed.

This little chap flew into a house looking for warmth and shelter and remained on the owners hand for about 4 minutes before flying away. I've seen robins do this before but never blue tits, which are normally very timid birds - so it just goes to show how cold and vulnerable our birds are at the moment. Image by Janjo195 on Flickr.

Remember to leave fresh warm water out whenever you can. If you leave cold water out then it freezes over very quickly, so I tend to use luke warm water and place it somewhere the birds will feel safe e.g. on top of a hedge or wall rather than on the lawn.

There were some great feeding tips from the RSPB in my last blog on this topic so take a read if you have time.

Gull

RSPB Wales website

Winter eased its grip

2010-12-06T16:32:54+00:00

Last weekend, winter eased its grip with a slow thaw.

Daytime temperatures rose as high as 6 or 7 Celsius on the coast but with rain falling onto frozen ground, some roads and pavements turned into ice rinks.

Last night it turned colder again and with clear skies, temperatures fell as low as -9 Celsius inland and much of Wales woke up to hard frosts this morning.

This afternoon RAF Valley on Anglesey reached 6 Celsius with a breeze off the sea but at Tirabad in Powys, the frost persisted all day, with freezing fog keeping the temperature down to -6 Celsius.

Tonight will bring more freezing fog patches and another widespread, hoar frost. You can find out more about frosts at BBC Weather.

Snowdon from Pen Llyn at Brynrefail, Snowdonia by Elton Angle-Smith.

On Tuesday a weakening front will move south into Wales during the day bringing a little sleet and snow into the north and north west.

Most of Powys and the south will remain dry with some sunshine but like today - freezing fog will be slow to clear and lingering all day in a few areas.

Wednesday will be cold but generally dry with plenty of sunshine and a northerly breeze.

Thursday and Friday will be cloudier and less cold with the wind turning into the north west and at the moment, the weekend looks set to turn milder with some mist, hill fog and drizzle.

Hang on to your hats though as the cold weather looks set to return towards the end of next week with another Arctic plunge!

Derek

A gull's eye view

2010-12-06T11:21:35+00:00

It's very icy again today which seems to sum up the weekend weather quite well really.

I was surprised at how heavy a frost we had on the coast during Saturday and Sunday but at least it was dry with blue sky and sunshine - in SE Wales anyway.

My windscreen wiper fluid is supposed to be good for minus 8 degrees Celsius but it was rendered useless? So it must have been cold! I'm hoping Derek will enlighten us all later...

The M4 corridor heading east was bathed in a thick blanket of fog today with snow and frost covering everything as far as the eye could see so you'll definitely need your side lights on if driving today.

Rest Bay in the sun on my chilly, Sunday afternoon walk.

It's a great time of year to wrap up warm and go for a walk though. I headed down a trail near Rest Bay yesterday afternoon and saw all sorts of bird life.

At the start of the walk I spotted a one collared dove - (once very common but no longer so) as well as some rooks, crows and starlings all busily feeding in recently ploughed fields.

A little further on where horses graze I found the local lapwing flock who seem to blitz the local fields daily, moving off in large numbers every time they're spooked by walkers. In amongst them were blackbirds, song thrushes and everyone's wintry favourite - the fieldfare.

A black headed gull perched on a railing by Mark Jones.

As I neared the beach, black headed gulls - now lacking their distinct black heads, sat on telegraph poles eagerly eyeing up any left over chips from surfers, making the most of a small, clean but powerless two foot swell.

The tide was low and the beach bathed in sunshine but the cold northerly wind was keeping it crowd free apart from the odd dog walker.

On the return leg I spotted the tell-tale skittish flight of goldfinches - again tricky to get near to without scaring off. Meanwhile a dunnock hopped along the tops of the hedgerows stalking me - no doubt hoping I'd provide some food.

Dunnocks are funny little birds. During the summer months you hardly notice them - skulking about in the undergrowth with their drab, brown plumage. But in winter they become a bit more adventurous and their colour becomes far more distinct, so they actually resemble a bird rather than a mouse.

Icicles stuck to a frozen plant by Richard Harris.

In a field to my right were two oystercatchers, busily probing bright red bills into the green grass in search of worms. It always strike me as odd, seeing them in this environment (alongside horses) as I'm so used to seeing them on rocky seashores. I must remember to take my camera with me next time and show you what I mean.

And last but not least a large buzzard swooped lazily overhead before taking up a perch on the local stable roof. I tried my best to walk stealthily around the corner and out flank him, but he'd clocked me long before I'd got within 50 feet and was gone!

It's amazing how much is still out there really. Even on the coldest of days, I'd spotted at least ten species of bird without even trying.

And don't forget - you can watch Iolo's Secret Life of Birds on BBC i-player currently. All the episodes so far are on there, for your viewing pleasure :)

Gull

A cold start to December

2010-12-02T16:00:59+00:00

It's still feeling bitterly cold today with a north-easterly breeze and this could well be the coldest start to December we've had since 1981.

There's been more fresh snow fall in Wales but not as much as in England and Scotland where the snow has been very deep in places.

As you'll see below, we've had some amazing photos sent in recently! So keep them coming @ wales.nature@bbc.co.uk

Tryfan Mountain in the Ogwen valley by Eric Scadding.

Tonight the biting wind will ease but with clearer skies, temperatures will drop like a stone. Typically -2 to -9 Celsius but in parts of central Wales and the north east - the thermometer could plunge as low as -15 Celsius.

The lowest temperature recorded for December in Wales was -22.7 °C at Corwen in Denbighshire on 13 December 1981.

Tomorrow will start off very cold and frosty with a risk of ice and a few freezing fog patches. During the afternoon, a band of rain and snow will gradually spread across the country.

Mt Snowdon by Mr Lyn Adams from Anglesey

This will fall mainly as rain and sleet on the coast but inland we could see more snow falling with 2-5cm of fresh snow possible, so expect more disruption and very icy roads making driving hazardous.

Over the weekend, winter will ease its grip slightly with warmer temperatures forecast - especially on the coast but it will stay cold inland.

Some rain, sleet and snow is likely on Saturday but the snow will mainly be on higher ground and in the north. There is also a high risk of ice, as rain falls onto frozen ground and roads.

Sgwd Gwladus Falls by Mike Davies in Neath.

Sunday will be cold but it should be drier and brighter with some sunshine.

Next week will bring plenty of dry weather and sunshine but temperatures will remain below average.

Frost and freezing fog patches are expected by night, as well as a risk of ice on untreated roads and surfaces.

Colder than Greenland

2010-11-29T15:13:40+00:00

The cold spell tightened its grip over the weekend with record breaking temperatures in Wales making it colder than Greenland.

Cold snaps and snow are not unusual in November but the cold we're currently experiencing is more severe than usual. Our coldest weather normally comes after Christmas and in the New Year.

At Llysdinam near Newbridge on Wye in Powys the temperature plunged to -18 Celsius, beating the previous record of -11.7 Celsius set in Welshpool on 9 November 1921.

In Powys, Tirabad near Llanwrtyd the automatic weather station there recorded -15.6 Celsius. The weather station at Tirabad is very remote at 1,007 feet above sea level and is often referred to as Sennybridge which is over 20 miles away.

Meanwhile Cardiff International Airport recorded -8 Celsius which is a new record for November.

So why has it been so cold? Well, our coldest nights occur when there is little wind, clear skies and a covering of snow on the ground. Since snow is a poor conductor of heat, (especially when freshly fallen and dry ) temperatures fall sharply.

Frozen windscreen wipers by Dickie-Dai-Do.

In Wales, the lowest temperatures tend to occur in mid and east Wales as they're furthest away from the warming influence of the sea but we've a way to go before we break any records.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Wales was an amazing -23.3°C at Rhayader in Radnorshire on 21 January 1940. But that's nothing compared to Vostok in Antarctica which holds the current world record for the coldest temperature at -89.4 °C.

But not everywhere in Wales was very cold. Some coastal areas escaped the worst of it such as Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula where on Sunday morning it was a 'tropical' -1°C! Thanks to the sea acting like a storage heater and keeping things warmer overnight.

Richard Arnold from Powys measured minus15 degrees Celcius inside his car on Sunday morning.

The week ahead...

The current cold conditions have come from Scandinavia and the Arctic and they are going to persist for the rest of this week.

The chance of a major blizzard is now zero but there is still some snow forecast and the Met Office has issued weather watches for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Most of the snow is expected in Powys and the north. The wind will also pick-up causing the snow to drift and creating a significant wind-chill.

In the wind, temperatures will feel more like -5°C to -10 °C and the frost will also be more penetrating so there is a greater risk of frozen pipes.

Longer term, it looks as if the big freeze will ease slightly over the weekend and into next week but it will still remain chilly.

Some forecasters are predicting another cold winter ahead (although perhaps not as cold as last year) and It may also be drier than normal which could lead to more drought issues again next year.

Of course only time will tell but in the meantime, wrap-up warm and watch out for those biting winds!

Derek

It's snow joke for birds

2010-11-26T09:00:29+00:00

Unless you've had your head buried in snow, you'll have already heard from Derek that a cold snap is on the way!

RSPB Cymru is asking people in Wales to remember that birds also need our help to survive the harsh wintry conditions.

This year it looks as though wild birds will face an earlier than usual test in finding enough of the right kind of foods to give them energy and warmth. This means that the food and water we supply, could ensure their survival.

During cold snaps, birds become a lot more vulnerable and are more likely to come into our gardens to seek refuge.

When temperatures drop below freezing, birds struggle to find the natural food they need to stay alive and rely upon us to help them.

To help birds survive, people should provide food suc as meal worms, fat-balls, crushed peanuts, dried fruit, seeds and grain to compensate for birds natural food which is covered in snow and ice.

Leftovers like grated cheese, porridge oats, soft fruit, unsalted bacon, cooked rice, pasta and the insides of cooked potatoes are also a good source of energy for garden birds, and water for both drinking and bathing is vital.

As well as affecting some vulnerable species, the cold snap may also bring some unusual birds from overseas a little earlier than usual - such as the siskin, waxwing and fieldfare.

A 2010 waxwing visitor to Wales, taken by Mike Warburton.

Dana Thomas from RSPB Cymru says: "With harsh wintry weather conditions heading our way this week the wild birds in our gardens will need a little TLC."

"The insects, berries and seeds garden birds usually feast on will become off limits thanks to frost and snow, so taking the time to provide some nutritious food and water for them is essential to their survival."

"It's not all doom and gloom, though. The chilly conditions may also mean that a flurry of rare birds we don't often see until later on in winter will appear earlier as they use our gardens as a safe haven."

"Look out for colourful species like the siskin and the waxwing that will add a bit of cheer to the bleak mid-winter."

Do your bit and follow the wild bird winter survival plan during the coldest weather:

Put out feed regularly, especially in severe weather. Set up a bird table and use high calorie seed mixes. This can also be used to put out kitchen scraps such as grated cheese, pastry and porridge oats.

Put out hanging feeders for black sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, sunflower-rich mixes or unsalted peanuts.

Ensure a supply of fresh water every day. If it is very cold use tepid water but DO NOT use any antifreeze products.

Put out fruit, such as apples and pears, for blackbirds, song thrushes and other members of the thrush family.

Food bars or fat hung up or rubbed into the bark of trees is a great help for treecreepers, goldcrests and many other species.

Put up nest boxes to provide roost sites for the smaller birds. They will then be used for breeding later in the year.

During winter, birds must feed at an increasing speed, but must also take plenty of rest to conserve energy.

The big chill

2010-11-25T14:18:18+00:00

The big chill has finally arrived.

It's feeling colder today with snow in parts of the north and west of Wales with 5cm of snow reported near Dolgellau this morning.

The snow is coming from clumps of showers moving in from the Irish Sea and although the sea is still relatively warm - the cold air over the warmer sea makes the atmosphere very unstable, forming large shower clouds.

Plas Glynllifon, Caernarfon after the recent snow by Gwynedd Roberts.

Who actually gets the showers is very dependent on the wind direction and currently the surface wind is from the north or north-north east so the north and west of Wales is most prone to catch the showers. The wind is stronger today so the showers are being blown well inland from the sea.

Tomorrow is trickier with a disturbance over Ireland moving in to Wales. This will bring a spell of rain, sleet and snow. Most of the snow should be in the north and west but I wouldn't rule out some snow in Powys and the south, tomorrow afternoon.

Two to five cm of snow is possible in places, 1 to 2 inches, especially on higher ground. See the Met Office warnings for more details.

Met office weather chart for Friday 26 November 2010.

Over the weekend it will be very cold with a significant wind-chill. There will be the odd snow shower in places but it will otherwise remain dry.

The best of the sunshine will be in the west and north west with top temperatures of around 1 to 3 degrees Celsius.

Next week will remain very cold and there is a 30 to 40% risk of a blizzard on Tuesday and Wednesday.This is not definite at the moment - just a possibility but if it did happen it could cause major disruption, so keep a close eye on the forecast.

Watch a video clip about the latest UK snow conditions on BBC News online.

Derek

Chilly weather ahead

2010-11-22T14:35:18+00:00

It's feeling chilly at the moment but it's nothing compared to what's heading our way later this week...

We are in for a real taste of winter shortly - with a cold plunge from the Arctic bringing a big drop in temperatures, sharp frosts and wintry showers.

Most of the snow will fall in the north and east of Britain but parts of Wales - mainly the north and west, Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire for example, could see some as well with hail and snow showers moving in off the Irish Sea.

Next weekend will be bitterly cold with a significant wind chill. Mind you, there is an old saying "If ice in November be thick enough to hold a duck, the rest of the winter will be all slush and muck"

In others words, a cold snap in November will be followed by a mild winter. We shall have to wait and see but at the moment, the signs are that once the cold air arrives it will take some shifting and December may get off to cold start.

The latest odds for snow in Cardiff on Christmas day are 6 to 1 but it's far too early to say whether we'll have a white Christmas or not.

In the meantime, dig out the thermals, wrap up any outdoor plants that need protecting and top up the anti-freeze for your car.

Derek