Frosty Britain: First snow of the year hits CairnGorm as UK braces for record lows
Bookmakers slashed the odds of a White Christmas overnight with cold temperatures and freezing winds set to remain over the coming weeks
The first snow of the year hit Britain overnight (6 October), as the country braces itself for temperatures that are set to tumble to -10c tonight.
The CairnGorm Mountain in the eastern Scottish Highlands was covered in snow as the UK prepares for clear skies and colder weather this week.
Road gritters are out treating roads with many regions waking up to frost this morning with temperatures in many parts of the country hoovering close to freezing.
Bookmakers have slashed the odds of a White Christmas with cold temperatures and freezing winds set to remain a feature over the coming weeks.
The coldest part of the country last night was Aboyne, a Highland village in Aberdeenshire, which hit -3c, while Swanage in the south of England was the warmest at 12c.
Met Office Meteorologist Alex Deakin said: "It has certainly been a chilly start to the working week."
The outlook for Monday and Tuesday remains mixed, according to the Met Office is a mixture of showers and clear weather for most of the country.
The Met Office said that over its 30-day forecast there will be a greater chance of colder and drier conditions, mixed with spells of rain and showers as weather fronts move across the country, though things will stay brighter and dryer in the south.
Ladbrokes is offering 5-6, down from 2-1, for snowfall on the big day with 4-1 on November being the coldest on record.
Spokeswoman for the bookmaker Jessica Bridge said: "The odds suggest punters can stop dreaming of a White Christmas as it's on the cards this year."
