Amber Snow Warning Hits North York Moors Travel

Published on Nov 21, 2025, 8:52 am CST

9 min read

Key points

The Met Office amber snow warning for Thursday November 20, 2025 targets the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds with forecast accumulations of 15 to 25 centimetres on high ground
Road closures have already hit routes like the A171, A169, and parts of the A1 in northern England, while snow and ice are disrupting key roads in northern Scotland and the Grampian region
Yellow snow and ice warnings and an amber cold health alert extend impacts across northern England and Scotland, with temperatures near minus ten degrees Celsius in rural areas and a realistic risk of power cuts and rural isolation
Rail operators are planning or applying speed restrictions and short notice cancellations across northern England and Scotland, increasing misconnect risk for long distance itineraries
Travelers heading through northern England or eastern Scotland between November 20 and 23, 2025 should shift long rural drives into daylight, build generous buffer time around rail and air connections, and pack for genuine winter conditions

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: High ground in the North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds plus exposed corridors in Northumberland, Aberdeenshire, and the Grampian uplands face the greatest risk of blocked roads, stranded vehicles, and power interruptions
Best Times To Travel: Daytime windows on Saturday and Sunday offer better visibility and road treatment, so avoid late night or early morning departures when refreezing will create black ice on minor roads and station approaches
Onward Travel And Changes: Anyone connecting via Newcastle International, Leeds Bradford, Teesside International, or Aberdeen International should allow extra hours for de icing, ground delays, slow rail links, and last minute bus replacements
What Travelers Should Do Now: Recheck Met Office warnings, police and highway alerts, and National Rail updates before travel, move non essential trips out of the warning area, and pre pack proper winter clothing, footwear, and backup charging and snacks
Health And Safety Factors: Cold health alerts across northern England and windchill in Scottish uplands mean travelers with mobility or respiratory issues should minimize exposure, avoid isolated walks, and favor heated, staffed hubs when waiting out delays

Visitors planning to cross northern England or eastern Scotland around Thursday, November 20, 2025, and into the weekend of November 22 to 23 now have to treat the weather as a hard constraint, not a background nuisance. The UK Met Office has pushed the North York Moors and parts of the Yorkshire Wolds into a rare amber snow warning, with bands of Arctic air driving blizzards, ice, and forecast totals of 15 to 25 centimetres on higher ground, while yellow snow and ice alerts cover much of northern England and Scotland. Police closures on exposed moorland roads, speed limits on rail lines, and scattered power issues in northern Scotland are already showing how quickly this pattern can cut off rural communities and strand travelers.

In plain language, the amber snow warning for the North York Moors means that travel on Thursday, November 20, is likely to be dangerous rather than just inconvenient, with knock on disruption still likely into Friday and the weekend even after the official window closes. Heavy snow and drifting on high routes are combining with overnight lows near minus ten degrees Celsius in parts of Scotland, and minus six to minus seven degrees in colder English valleys, to create a mix of blocked roads, black ice, and intermittent power cuts. Travelers who cannot avoid the region need to plan around those risks now, not wait until they see social media pictures of stranded traffic.

What The Amber Snow Warning Actually Covers

The Met Office amber warning is focused on the North York Moors and parts of the Yorkshire Wolds, valid for most of Thursday, November 20, 2025, with weather maps highlighting a corridor from near Whitby inland toward Pickering and Malton. Forecasters expect frequent heavy snow showers in this zone, blown by strong northerly winds, with 2 to 5 centimetres at lower levels and 15 to 25 centimetres piling up on the higher ridges. Surrounding areas across North East England, plus parts of northern Scotland, sit under yellow warnings for snow and ice, which still imply travel disruption where showers line up over the same routes or fall after dark.

The Met Office's own definition of amber level is blunt. It signals an increased likelihood of severe weather impacts, including travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts, and risks to life and property, and it explicitly tells people to expect plans to change. On top of that, the UK Health Security Agency has an amber cold health alert in place across northern England until 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 22, reflecting the added risk that sustained low temperatures pose to older travelers and anyone with cardiovascular or respiratory issues.

Road Corridors Under The Most Strain

Early impacts in northern England show the pattern to expect. In North Yorkshire, snow squalls over the moors have already shut the A171 and A169 across the high ground between Scarborough, Whitby, and Pickering, while sections of the A1 northbound between Morpeth and Alnwick have seen closures or rolling blockades as conditions deteriorate. Police are advising motorists to avoid non essential travel into the moorland zone and coastal headlands where drifting snow and poor visibility can trap vehicles quickly.

In Scotland, the same Arctic air mass has combined with local topography to cause jackknifed lorries and rolling closures on key Highland trunk routes. The A9 near Dunbeath in Caithness has already been closed in both directions after a lorry incident in heavy snow and ice, and traffic camera footage shows ploughs and gritters working to keep routes like the A82 and A9 marginally passable. Further south and east, the Grampian region, including Aberdeenshire and approaches to the Cairngorms, faces similar conditions, with blowing snow threatening to close minor roads for hours at a time and to isolate hill communities if recovery vehicles cannot reach them.

The practical pattern for travelers is clear. High, exposed roads that cross moorland or upland plateaus will be the first to close when snow bands intensify, while more sheltered river valleys and low level coastal roads hold out longer but still develop ice, slush, and localized flooding when temperatures fluctuate around freezing. Sticking to main treated routes, being ready to turn back when police advise, and avoiding last minute cross country shortcuts all become essential tactics in an amber scenario.

Rail And Air: Slower Timetables, Higher Misconnect Risk

Rail operators across Britain have already been operating under a run of weather linked slowdowns during Storm Claudia, and the transition into this cold snap means many of the same networks are now facing snow and ice constraints. National Rail has warned that when ice and drifting snow affect the network, speed restrictions may be needed to allow trains to run safely, which in practice translates into cancellations, altered stopping patterns, and delays that propagate far from the original problem segment.

For travelers moving between London and Scotland, the East Coast Main Line remains the backbone, but even short slowdowns or temporary closures around York, Newcastle, or the approaches to Edinburgh can ripple into missed connections further north. Cross country and TransPennine style routes that cross higher passes or run close to the North York Moors are especially vulnerable, both to snow drifts on the tracks and to ice on points and platforms. This is the wrong week to plan tight self made connections between separate tickets, or to assume that an evening train will always make its advertised slot into an airport station.

On the aviation side, heavy snow and crosswinds do not usually shut airports entirely, but they do create de icing queues and runway checks that slow operations. Regional gateways such as Newcastle International Airport (NCL), Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA), and Teesside International Airport (MME) sit close enough to the amber zone that even short bands of heavy snow can temporarily halt departures or arrivals. Further north, Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ) has already seen cancellations during blizzard conditions in northern Scotland, showing how quickly a surge of snow can shut down short haul networks and strand travelers far from home.

When rail links to airports are already fragile, as Adept Traveler has seen during Storm Claudia's impact on the Manchester Airport rail corridor, a fresh round of snow driven disruption is another reminder to build in fallbacks, not just backup trains. That can mean earlier departures into the hub city, airport hotels before very early flights, or having a coach, tram, or rideshare route mapped in case the train is suspended.

How Long Will The Disruption Last?

The very heavy snow tied to the amber warning in North Yorkshire is focused on Thursday, November 20, but that does not mean clean travel by Friday morning. Once 15 to 25 centimetres of snow has fallen across high ground, ploughing and gritting can take time, and any thaw through the day followed by another hard freeze at night creates fresh ice hazards. Met Office guidance suggests that by Friday and into the weekend, temperatures will gradually lift and rain bands will cross from west to east, but even that "warm up" phase brings new problems, including slush, surface water, and low cloud that can disrupt regional flights.

The more persistent risks for Saturday, November 22, and Sunday, November 23, 2025, are likely to be on untreated rural roads, smaller rail branches, and overhead power and communication lines in exposed uplands. Rural parts of Aberdeenshire, the Grampian hills, and moorland villages in North Yorkshire are the most at risk of temporary isolation if a fresh shower dumps wet snow on tree limbs and power lines that are already stressed from earlier falls.

Practical Timing And Packing Guidance

From a timing standpoint, the simplest rule is to keep as much of your travel as possible in the middle of the day. Early morning and late evening bring the worst combination of refreezing surfaces, poor visibility, and reduced staffing at some smaller facilities. If you normally plan a three hour road run across northern England or eastern Scotland, this is the moment to stretch that to five or six, with clear bailout points, fuel stops, and warm waiting options along the way.

On rail, assume that advertised journey times are optimistic and that platform changes, short notice cancellations, and substitute buses are all possible. Travelers with connecting flights out of Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Teesside, or Aberdeen should work backward from their boarding time and aim to be at the airport at least an extra hour earlier than usual, then add a further buffer if they are depending on a single key train. Splitting long stretches into two tickets with time in a staffed station or airport hotel can be safer than trying to do everything in one tight chain.

Packing should reflect genuine winter conditions rather than typical British drizzle. That means insulated, waterproof footwear with real grip, layers including a windproof shell, hats and gloves, and a headlamp or small torch in case you end up walking in unlit areas near rural stations or car parks. Power banks, charging cables, snacks, and any essential medication belong in a daypack you can keep with you even if luggage gets delayed or rerouted. For more general planning around Scotland's volatile weather, Adept Traveler's destination coverage for sights like Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland offers useful reminders on dressing in layers and staying flexible when conditions shift quickly.

Finally, the amber cold health alert is a signal that cold itself is a hazard, not just the snow. Travelers with asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease, or mobility challenges should weigh whether they can postpone trips into the hardest hit zones until after the weekend, or at least restructure plans to minimize time outdoors and avoid long walks on icy surfaces. Checking on less mobile companions, arranging step free routes where possible, and choosing hotels and airports with strong indoor wayfinding and assistance can all reduce risk.