THESE wonderful pictures of snow in Chipping Sodbury show that Winter still has a sting in its tail.

As everyone is looking out for the tell tale signs of Spring, the community of Chipping Sodbury was given a smattering of snow.

Photographer Rich McD was out and about in the freezing temperatures to capture the snow in all its glory.

In the UK conditions are often marginal for snow and a number of variables need to align.

The upper level air must be cold enough. If it isn't then precipitation will fall as rain or freezing rain regardless of how cold it is at the ground level.

Upper level air temperatures need to be at or below freezing point which is 0C (32F). That is most likely to happen when winds are blowing from a northerly or easterly direction.

Temperatures at the surface generally need to be at or below 2C (36F). However, it can snow when they are higher, particularly in the spring when the air is often drier and the dew points are correspondingly lower.

A cold snap on its own is usually not enough for widespread snow because there also needs to be enough moisture in the air. For example, a northerly wind often brings dry weather to southern Britain with snow showers more likely in the north and around coastal counties.