Just a quick note to provide you with the highlights from our November long-range weather forecast issued earlier this month (please see further below). This three-month look ahead is updated monthly, so I will provide a further update in mid-December based on the latest forecast modelling at that time.
I also want to draw your attention to the forecast for the next couple of days. As you will be aware, things turned colder yesterday and during the course of last night. Whist this morning / afternoon will be dry with bright spells, overnight sleet and snow will move in from the west, increasingly falling as snow away from the coast. Current forecasts are suggesting this brings the potential for accumulations of 2-5cm away from the immediate coast and 5-10cm over higher roads inland. Yellow weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office.
Given this is the first winter weather event of any significance this season, it is worth being alert to this change from what have been relatively benign conditions and the fact that we may be waking up to something significantly different on Tuesday morning.
The forecast suggests these more-wintry conditions are going to continue through the week, so I have included an extract from our forecast to give you an indication of what is currently expected (in the extract RST = Road Surface Temperature).
As you would anticipate, we have treatments of the network planned in order to address these forecast / prevailing conditions and will deploy our fleet of gritters, supported by farming contractors as necessary.
Given the forecast, it is worth considering whether journeys are necessary. To assist with journey planning or if you need to travel, please see the following links to Met Office Warnings, our road cameras and details of which routes we treat:
UK weather warnings – Met Office
Road cameras and weather conditions | North Yorkshire Council
Road gritting | North Yorkshire Council
Kind regards
Nigel Smith
Head of Highway Operations
