UK snow check › Lerwick
Is it snowing in Lerwick?
Live snow check for Lerwick, Shetland Islands, updated every 10 minutes. Somewhere else? Search any UK town or postcode.
Checking Lerwick…
Getting the latest forecast for Lerwick. If nothing appears, check your connection and refresh the page.
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Blue bars: snowfall each hour (taller is heavier). Figures: temperature in °C.
Snow in Lerwick: closures, gritting and warnings
Will it snow in Lerwick this winter?
No forecast can tell you this far ahead whether this winter will be snowy. The recent record is a fair guide: Lerwick saw snow in 5 of the last 5 winters, with about 9 days of snowfall in a typical winter and the first fall most often in November.
The last snowfall in the records was on 4 February 2026. The biggest single day in the last 5 winters was 27 December 2023, with about 7.1 cm.
When did it last snow in Lerwick?
| Winter (Nov to Mar) | Snow days | Total | Biggest day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 3 | 3 cm | 31 January 2022 (1.3 cm) |
| 2022/23 | 15 | 30 cm | 6 March 2023 (5.4 cm) |
| 2023/24 | 13 | 30 cm | 27 December 2023 (7.1 cm) |
| 2024/25 | 5 | 13 cm | 31 December 2024 (5.5 cm) |
| 2025/26 | 9 | 19 cm | 8 January 2026 (4.6 cm) |
A snow day here is a day with at least 0.5 cm of snowfall. Figures come from ERA5, a reconstruction of past weather on a grid about 30 km across, so they smooth out hills and frost hollows: treat them as a guide to how often it snows, not a count from your street.
Is it snowing near Lerwick?
Snow in Lerwick: what to expect
Lerwick is in Shetland Islands, in the Met Office’s Orkney and Shetland warning region. At around 17 m above sea level, Lerwick is low-lying, so snow here often turns to sleet or melts unless the cold air is well established. Of the last 5 winters, the snowiest here was 2022/23.
The answer above is worked out for Lerwick’s own position. YES means snow is falling now, SOON means it is forecast in the next 24 hours and NO means neither, with a note if ice, freezing rain or lying snow could still cause trouble.
Will it settle?
Snow only settles when the surface it lands on is cold enough. The air can be below freezing while the ground is still holding heat from a mild week, so the first flakes melt as they land. We look at the forecast ground temperature as well as the air: at 0°C or below, snow settles almost everywhere; between about 1°C and 2°C it collects on grass, car roofs and garden furniture first while roads and pavements stay wet; above that, most of it melts. Heavy snow can beat a warm ground by cooling it, which is why a short burst often settles when a long, light fall does not.
Questions
Is it snowing in Lerwick right now?
The answer at the top of this page is live, from a forecast for Lerwick’s exact position that is updated every 10 minutes. YES means snow is falling now, SOON means snow is forecast within 24 hours and NO means neither.
Will it snow in Lerwick tomorrow?
The hour-by-hour strip under the answer shows forecast snowfall and temperature for the next 24 hours. For warnings that cover Lerwick, see the Met Office’s Orkney and Shetland region, shown in the panel when a warning is in force.
When did it last snow in Lerwick?
The last day with at least 0.5 cm of snowfall in our records was 4 February 2026, when about 2.2 cm fell. If the answer at the top of this page says YES, that date is out of date: it’s snowing now.
How often does it snow in Lerwick?
In the last 5 winters Lerwick averaged about 9 days with at least 0.5 cm of snowfall and about 19 cm in total each winter. The snowiest was 2022/23, with 15 days.
Are schools in Lerwick closed because of snow?
Each school decides and the council publishes the list. Check mygov.scot, which links to your council’s list.