Met Office issues 17-hour yellow snow and ice warning for Lancashire and other regions

A yellow snow warning issued by the Met Office takes effect at 7pm on Thursday 12 February and lasts until 12pm on Friday 13 February, a 17-hour warning, according to the Lancashire Resilience Forum¹. In Lancashire the warning covers Rossendale, Burnley, Clitheroe, Nelson, Colne, the Forest of Bowland and parts of Lancaster¹.

The warning also affects other areas of the North West, Yorkshire and Humber, the West Midlands, the East Midlands, the North East and Scotland¹.

The Lancashire Resilience Forum sets out what to expect while the warning is in place: some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces; probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths; and some roads and railways likely to be affected, with longer journey times by road, bus and train services¹.

The same announcement notes that there are three severities, yellow, amber and red, and that warnings can be issued for a range of phenomena including snow, hail, rain, wind and fog¹. Our guide to Met Office weather warnings explains what the yellow, amber and red levels mean.

Why it matters for households

The warning runs overnight, from 7pm on Thursday 12 February to 12pm on Friday 13 February, so the icy surfaces and untreated patches described by the Lancashire Resilience Forum fall across the Thursday evening and Friday morning¹. Households in the named Lancashire areas and the other regions listed are affected for that period¹. The Forum's stated expectations are injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces, icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, and disruption to road, bus and train journeys with longer travel times¹. The announcement does not include further advice for households beyond these expectations, and no additional guidance for people who need extra help has been reported.

What happens next

The warning expires at 12pm on Friday 13 February¹. No further warnings or updates beyond this one have been reported. Households can follow subsequent Met Office warnings through the Met Office alerts sign-up guide, and general guidance on preparing for snow and ice is in our storms and snow section.