It's no April fool that snow is more common at Easter than Christmas. And although Easter Sunday is set mostly fair, heavy rain, turning to snow in places is on the way from the Southwest.
Today will be the driest of the Easter holiday, but it's 'all fools day'. So, don't let the drier weather lull you into a false sense of security as the weather remains in a particularly unsettled mood, with more rain moving up from the South overnight and tomorrow. There'll also be some snow mostly over hills and in the North and as snow is more likely at Easter rather than Christmas (no April fool) and with Easter coming early this year, warnings of snow on Bank Holiday Monday come as no surprise.
For today though it's drier but not entirely so, with patchy rain over northern England that'll 'peter-out' through the morning. It's cloudy particularly in central and eastern parts where there'll be a few possibly sharp showers' through the day although not everywhere will see them. Over much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and in the West, it's a fine but frosty start in parts, and here you'll see the best of the sunshine. Central and eastern areas should also brighten up to give a few sunny intervals in places by the afternoon when Dyfed and the South West will be turning increasingly cloudy. This'll bring rain to the Isles of Scilly and later to Cornwall and Devon, with parts of South Wales and Dorset probably also seeing some rain before the afternoon is out as the new month begins very unsettled.
A mostly light North East or Northerly wind will be of polar origin, so it'll feel cold in any breeze. As a result, temperatures will get no higher than a rather cold 5 to 7C in the North and 7 to 9 locally 10C in the South, where a freshening Easterly wind later in the day will feel quite raw.
Apart a few wintry showers in the far North, Scotland and northern England see clear spells after dark and a frost. Light winds allow a few short-lived mist or fog patches to form overnight in some Highland glens, as temperatures fall to -3 to +1C. Northern Ireland may also see clear spells into the evening, but a freshening East wind will bring cloud, rain and mostly hill snow before dawn. Elsewhere, the rain in the South accompanied by a freshening and raw East wind will work it's way steadily northward through the night. As it encounters the cold air, it'll turn to snow over the Staffordshire Moors and the Peak District, with wet snow possible even at lower levels across parts of the Midlands and Wales by morning. Minimum temperatures will be close to freezing, but further South, you'll avoid a frost.
Bank Holiday Monday begins fine and frosty over the North and West of Scotland, with just a few wintry showers in the far North. Here there'll be sunny spells before it tends to cloud over from the South through the day. The remainder of Scotland is more cloudy, with some wintry showers developing by the afternoon across Fife. Later the South and perhaps the Central Lowlands may see outbreaks of sleet or snow moving in, in a raw and freshening East wind. Northern Ireland will have a wet day, with further snow for a while mostly over the Derry and Antrim mountains.
Across northern England, there are warnings of snow particularly on hills that could cause problems for a while. At lower levels though, any snow that settles should be mostly wet and slushy, before turning to rain from the South. You'll also see some snow across the North Midlands at first, but this'll turn to rain more readily as milder air moves in from the South through the day.
Over Wales, the remainder of the Midlands and in the South, it'll be cloudy and wet with some heavy bursts of rain that'll turn showery, before somewhat brighter weather moves into the South West later. Here a fresh and blustery wind will give strong or gale force gusts in exposed areas, before 'veering' South or South Westerly later This'll introduce milder air, allowing temperatures to reach 8 to 11C. Further North though it'll be much colder, with 2 to 6C more likely here.
After dark, the rain and snow moves into southern and central Scotland, with some disruption due to heavy falls over the Southern Uplands and later The Trossachs. Further North it'll be drier in a raw East wind. Lowest temperatures will be close to freezing-point. Over England and Wales, milder southerly winds will bring a lot of cloud and scattered showers. Later Wales and the South West may see longer spells of rain, but overnight, temperatures here shouldn't fall below 3 to 6C.