03
Jan
Weather warning upped to amber as Harrogate district set for weekend snowfall
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The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for the Harrogate district this weekend.
Yellow warnings for snow and ice were put in place locally yesterday, but the Met Office has today upgraded it to a more severe amber warning for snow.
This means the weather is expected to cause disruption, which could include rural communities being cut off and public transport being delayed or cancelled.
Amber warnings are in place across the north, the midlands and parts of Wales from 9pm tomorrow (January 4) until 11.59pm on Sunday (January 5).
Locally, snow is currently forecast to fall overnight on Saturday, but the forecast is variable across the district.
At the time of publication, the Met Office predicted snowfall from around 11pm on Saturday night in Harrogate until mid-afternoon on Sunday. Rain is forecast to set in from 6pm on Sunday.
The picture is less severe in Ripon and Boroughbridge, with sleet expected from between 11pm on Saturday and midnight on Sunday. The Met Office says this will continue until the afternoon before turning to rain.
Knaresborough is set for snow from around 11pm on Saturday until early the next morning. Sleet will then set in, the Met Office says, before turning to rain at 6pm Sunday evening.
Snow is forecast to fall from 11pm on Saturday until mid-afternoon the following day in Pateley Bridge. Sleet will set in on Sunday evening, which is expected to continue until early Monday morning (January 6).
In Masham, Met Office has forecast snow from midnight on Sunday. This is set to turn to sleet at around 6am, which will continue until around 6pm, when rain will continue overnight.
Temperatures will generally reach a high of just four degrees over the weekend.
Met Office said Greenhow Hill, the highest part of the district, could feel as cold as minus nine as temperatures are expected to struggle to reach above one degree.
A yellow warning for snow and ice is still in place for most of the UK from midday tomorrow until 11.59pm on Sunday.
Snow on the A61 during November's Storm Bert.
Mother Shipton's Cave in Knaresborough today said it will not open on Sunday due to the adverse forecast. The attraction said on social media:
We will be open this Saturday 4th January 10-3.30 (last admission 2pm), but closed on Sunday 5th January due to the heavy snow forecast.
Yorkshire Water yesterday urged households to insulate their pipes to prevent them from freezing and potentially bursting. It said:
Polyethylene foam is most commonly used to prevent pipes freezing. It can be used indoors and outdoors, is relatively cheap, and can be installed without the need for a professional if the pipework is not located under flooring.
Outdoor taps can be insulated using a stop tap cover or a rubber pipe. Yorkshire Water is also offering advice to those who turn on the tap to find no water, as it may be that there is a frozen pipe.
The Stray Ferret recently published a full list of free warm spaces across the Harrogate district. You can find the full list, which is free to read, by clicking here.
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