Temperatures will plunge below freezing in the West Midlands this week – as weather experts predicted six inches of snow to fall in parts of the country.

The region was today warned to brace itself for the cold snap, with even worse to come next week.

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While overnight temperatures this week are set to plummet to below freezing, long-term forecasts show daytime temperatures will struggle to rise too.

They will be hovering at  no more than -1C (30F) in the region at any time.

Met Office experts said a wintery blast from Russia will gradually bring snow showers, starting in the North-East and Scotland.

From Thursday it will spread down the east coast of England.

Forecasters today insisted the West Midlands would escape the snowfall but warned of icy conditions.

It will get colder towards the end of the week with temperatures  to plummet to -2C (28F) overnight.

Gritting teams are on standby across the region as it braces itself.

In Wolverhampton, overnight temperatures have been monitored for more than a month after the council stocked up on 3,500 tons of rock salt — 1,000 tons more than in the past.

Ian Law, Wolverhampton City Council’s highway operational services manager, said: “We began monitoring overnight temperatures from October 1 and gritting crews went on standby on October 25 after the average temperatures started to drop. They will remain on standby throughout the winter period.”

Met Office spokesman Dan Grey said: “It is going to feel very cold, it will feel bitter, but the snow won’t reach the West Midlands. It will be very much confined to northern coastal areas.”