SNOW still lay on the ground in higher parts of the region today (Monday, February 25) after a weekend of freezing conditions – but forecasters said the temperatures are expected to rise this week.

Consett in County Durham and other higher parts of the region saw up to three inches of snow on Saturday, with some low-lying areas getting flurries and a scattering of snow on the ground.

The North-East and North Yorkshire should see temperatures of up to 7 C this week and sunshine as an area of high pressure moves across the UK.

The likelihood of snow in the next week to ten days is very low, said forecasters.

John Lee, forecaster at the MeteoGroup, said: “The next few days are likely to be dry and it is becoming slightly less cold, although temperatures are still below the seasonal average.

“The North-East will see a high of about 5C tomorrow and possibly up to 7C on Wednesday.

“The risk of more snow this year is lessening all the time because we are coming to the end of winter and heading into spring. This week we are also under the influence of high pressure which means that many areas will stay dry but also bright.”

However, he said more snow this year could not be entirely ruled out until well into the Spring.