This is why different parts of Yorkshire get more snow than other areas

This week has seen snow flurries around the country, including Yorkshire

Although Yorkshire is often affected by snow during the winter months, is there a reason for this and why do some parts of the county always seem to receive greater snowfall than others?

Grahame Madge from the Met Office states that the current weather setup revolves around snow showers which "can develop in some areas rather than others", but that the random nature of these showers "makes it harder to pinpoint exact areas".

Mr Madge says that the "eastern parts of Britain are a showery region", which is why Yorkshire is usually affected by the snow.

The East Coast receives a very strong easterly flow of winds from the North Sea and as the moisture rises and reacts with the cold air, these showers are formed.

Upland locations

North Yorkshire in particular is an area which usually receives a large amount of snowfall and areas such as Harrogate and Skipton are almost always affected by cold-weather fronts.

This is due to its geographical location as it is more upland than West and South Yorkshire, which makes it more likely to receive a greater amount of snow.

Seaside resorts such as Bridlington and Whitby are more likely to receive snow

Mr Madge explains that in regards to general weather principles, "elevation sees more snow" as more "snow jets" occur in upland areas.

This is why the elevated areas of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales always seem to receive a large amount of snow, as the higher up and more exposed a place is generally gets more snow on the ground.

Coastal locations

Coastal sites are also more prone to these snow showers due to the moisture from the sea, which makes seaside resorts such as Bridlington and Whitby more likely to receive snow.

General weather principles makes other parts of Yorkshire less likely to receive as much snowfall as its coastal and highland counterparts (Bruce Rollinson)

As the snow showers then run out of moisture as they retreat further inland, general weather principles makes other parts of Yorkshire less likely to receive as much snowfall as its coastal and highland counterparts.

Mr Madge hopes that as the Met Office continues to make developments in regards to weather predictions, it will become easier to see exactly where snow should fall, as currently "forecasting showers is one of the biggest challenges of meteorology".