The snow is likely to accumulate even at low levels for a time with the risk of up to 10 cm lying over higher ground on Friday.

Heavy rain will also feature across the south of the UK as the storm passes through, bringing a risk of surface water flooding, with winds of up to 60 mph in the far southeast overnight into Friday.

However, there is still a small chance that the low will move further north, with the risk of strong winds affecting a larger area of the south of England.

Most likely track of low 15-16 Dec 2011 Enlarge Low risk track of low 15-16 Dec 2011 Enlarge

Colder than average temperatures will then carry on through Friday and the weekend, continuing the risk of icy conditions.

Andy Page, Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, said: "Snow, heavy rain and strong winds are all expected to affect parts of the UK over the next day or so, bringing hazardous conditions at times.

"We're working closely with government agencies and the resilience community to keep them up to date with the latest information. We'd advise the public to regularly check our latest forecasts and warnings to stay up-to-date with the situation."

Jason Glasson, the Highways Agency's National Winter & Severe Weather Team Leader, said: "I advise drivers to plan ahead before setting out tomorrow morning. Check the Met Office weather forecast and  road conditions and allow extra time if travel conditions are poor or delay the journey if conditions are really severe."

• Travel information for England is available from the Highways Agency, by calling the Information Line on 0300 123 5000 or through regional Twitter feeds.
• Flood warnings for England and Wales are available from the Environment Agency or by calling Floodline on 0845 9881188.

Wintry mix of weather for the UK (PDF, 83 kB)