Keep off a frosty lawn

This coming weekend will see a marked change in the weather as the dry spell makes way for snow and ice for many parts reports The Met Office.

Over the past few days we have seen the coldest spell of the winter so far, as very cold air has flooded across the UK from the continent. Temperatures have dropped as low as -9.4 °C in Shap, Cumbria, and -10 °C is possible in places tonight. 

Snow showers are expected along parts of the eastern coastline today and tomorrow, but most places will continue to see bright, dry and cold conditions.  Things are set to change as we go through into Saturday, however, as an Atlantic front moves in from the west.

Paul Gundersen, Deputy Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, said: "As this front moves in from the west it will come up against cold air and we're likely to see a mixture of rain, sleet and snow across the UK.  "It's a finely balanced situation, so there is some uncertainty about which areas will see the most significant snowfall, but at the moment the risk is highest in central and eastern areas where we could see up to 5-10cm of snow.

Remember not to walk over a frosted lawn otherwise you will leave brown footprints caused by you snapping off the tips of the grass plants from your footprint impression when it was frozen. The brown footprints will show through a few days once the frost has gone.

I always recall the Postman generating a track like an animal track across our lawn at home because he could not be bothered to walk in one gate and out the other on his rounds when a short cut across the lawn appeared quicker!