PARTS of Scotland are set to be hit by snow in a matter of days according to the Met Office.
The weather service says a northerly airflow will develop, bringing colder Arctic air to some parts of the country this weekend.
Alex Deakin, a Met Office meteorologist, has revealed that three locations in Scotland could see snow as early as Saturday – with around 4cm of snow falling across three hours in the Scottish Highlands, parts of Aberdeenshire and some parts of Stirling.
He added that Scotland is the only place that he believes will see snow this weekend.
"Obviously, it wouldn't take much of a swing and for that air to be a bit colder when that air comes in for snow to be seen at lower levels," he said.
"But at this stage it is looks like it is just going to be snow on the hills in Scotland."
Speaking on YouTube, Deakin went on: "Because it has been so mild, it really would be noticeable that we'll see that drop in temperatures... After that (Saturday), the uncertainty grows."
Weather maps from WXCharts, meanwhile, predict the first snowfall will occur in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Deputy chief meteorologist Mark Sidaway said: “The high pressure that has been responsible for the mainly dry weather through much of this week will retrogress into the Atlantic as we get towards the weekend.
"This will gradually introduce more unsettled weather, initially in the north from Friday but more widely from Sunday.
“In addition to this increased rainfall, which could be heavy at times on Sunday, temperatures will also drop, especially for those in Scotland, as a northerly airflow develops, bringing colder Arctic air to some northern areas.
“This shift does introduce the possibility of snow, initially over high ground in the north from Sunday, with gusty winds also a potential hazard.
"There is a lot of uncertainty by Sunday, but there remain a number of scenarios which could bring some more widespread rain, along with some hill snow and stronger winds.
"Warnings for winter hazards are possible later in the weekend, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast.”
