In pictures: Snow blankets parts of UK as 2026 begins in deep freeze

Parts of the UK welcomed the new year with flurries of snow as a cold snap plummeted temperatures to below freezing.

A blanket of snow and ice covered areas from Shetland to the south coast of England on Friday morning.

Multiple weather warnings for snow and ice are in place from Friday to Monday, covering huge swathes of the UK from Scotland and Northern Ireland to Greater Manchester, the Midlands, and London.

The Met Office is warning of “widespread frost and ice” with temperatures well below average, remaining below 0C for some.

The arctic conditions are set to continue into next week, with more snow showers possible in some areas. As much as 40cm of snowfall is possible in the highest parts of Scotland, with one to two cm widely expected across affected parts of England, forecasters said.

Here are some of the most striking images captured of the wintry start to 2026.

People sledging in Loch Morlich, Aviemore (Paul Campbell/PA Wire) (PA)

A man shovels snow as an ‘amber’ snow warning was issued on January 02, 2026 in Kincardine O’Neil, Scotland (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) (Getty)

Gritter lorry on A9, south of Inverness. Amber weather warnings have been expanded after coming into force in parts of Scotland (Paul Campbell/PA Wire) (Paul Campbell/PA Wire)

Snow covers the high ground of North Wales and Snowdonia after overnight freezing temperatures in Llanrwst (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Getty)

Waves crash against the sea wall in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside (Owen Humphreys/PA Wire) (PA)

Snow-covered houses in the village of Bishop’s Itchington in Warwickshire (Jacob King/PA Wire) (PA)

Dalwhinnie Distillery in the Cairngorms National Park in the heart of the Highlands has seen heavy snow (Dalwhinnie Distillery)

Snow covers roads and cars in Aberdeen (Beth Edmonston/PA Wire) (PA)