❄️ Scottish Chill: Temperatures Plunge to 15-Year Low in Tomintoul

❄️ Scottish Chill: Temperatures Plunge to 15-Year Low in Tomintoul

Scotland has experienced a significant and sudden cold snap, recording the lowest November temperature in the UK in 15 years.¹ The severe freeze brought widespread travel chaos, school closures, and an early dusting of snow to parts of the country.²

The record-breaking low was recorded in the village of Tomintoul, Moray, on Friday morning, November 21, 2025, as a bitter Arctic air mass swept across the nation.³

The Record-Setting Freeze

The temperatures plunged into the negative double figures overnight, setting a new benchmark for November cold:⁴

• Lowest Temperature: ⁵$-12.6^{\circ}\text{C}$ (⁶$\text{9}^{\circ}\text{F}$) was recorded at Tomintoul, Moray.⁷

• Significance: This is the lowest temperature recorded in the UK in the month of November since ⁸$-18^{\circ}\text{C}$ was measured in Llysdinam, Wales, in 2010.⁹

• Widespread Cold: Other areas in Scotland also felt the deep freeze, with places like Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands recording similarly low figures, underscoring the severity of the cold front.¹⁰

The cold was caused by a small area of high pressure moving across the UK overnight combined with light winds, which allowed the cold air to settle deeply in inland valleys and glens.¹¹

Widespread Disruption and Early Snow

The sudden onset of the Arctic blast led to significant disruption across northern and north-east Scotland, where the cold was most intense.¹²

• School Closures: Over 100 schools were closed across north and north-east Scotland on Thursday and Friday, including over 30 in Aberdeenshire alone, as a result of heavy snowfall and icy conditions.¹³

• Travel Issues: The snow and ice caused severe road disruption, including the closure of a section of the A90 and vehicles, such as a double-decker bus, getting stuck in the snow on minor routes.¹⁴

• The Silver Lining: The heavy snow offered a rare early opportunity for winter sports enthusiasts.¹⁵ The Cairngorm Mountain snowsports centre near Aviemore reported enough snow to open some areas for skiing and snowboarding for the weekend of November 22-23.¹⁶

The cold snap, though intense, was expected to be short-lived, with forecasters anticipating a return to more average, milder temperatures by the middle of the following week as weather systems move in from the Atlantic.¹⁷