If you thought Essex escaped snow this winter then you might be proven wrong.
The Met Office have said that snow could fall in parts of Essex this weekend as temperatures plummet and start to feel frosty.
Some areas in Tendring including Great Bentley and Thorpe-le-Soken could expect a light dusting of snow between midnight and 3.00am on Saturday, December 15 when temperatures will feel like a chilly -2 degrees.
The weather will begin to turn frosty on Friday as temperatures start to plummet to 3 degrees and then 2 degrees on Saturday.
It will be a touch warmer on Sunday and Monday with sunshine and sunny intervals expected throughout the day.
Cold weather
Essex Highways have already began gritting the roads in recent days and more could be sent out over the frosty weekend.
The national weather forecast
It is looking increasingly sunny in several parts of the country.
There will be windy, patchy rain, across Northern Ireland, central and western Scotland, along with Wales and southwest England.
At the weekend, it will be mostly fine Friday, although cold with early frost, but wet and windy weather moves east Saturday, with snow in north and east.
And the rest of the month...
The middle of the month is likely to remain changeable with a mix of blustery showers and longer spells of rain, and a risk of severe gales at times.
Temperatures however will return to near normal for the time of year, with the south and west becoming rather mild at times, although some colder air may move into the north at times to give the risk of some hill snow.
Heading into the Christmas week and the most likely scenario is for a continuation of the changeable theme, with some further spells of wind and rain, but interspersed by some brighter but showery weather.
