WINTER will arrive finally this weekend, say forecasters, as snow brings an end to one of the warmest autumns on record.

Many parts of Scotland will experience snow as showers turn wintry tomorrow afternoon and into Monday morning.

The Highlands, Argyll and parts of central Scotland could all have snowfall, with depths of up to 1in on lower levels and up to 4in on higher ground.

The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" weather warning for parts of the country as the cold spell begins.

The forecaster also warned the snow could cause transport disruptions, but added it is expected to clear by Tuesday.

It said: "Showers will turn increasingly wintry during Sunday afternoon and evening across Scotland and will last through Monday.

"Icy stretches are likely to form on untreated surfaces. This could lead to travel disruption."

Ski Norwest, which specialises in ski trips to Scotland, said it was hoping for another good season.

Owner Barbara Kent said: "We've had quite a lot of snow already on high ground, but it's still not enough at the minute so we're hoping snow definitely materialises.

"There's a lot of people already booked in. Our numbers are already matching last year, which is pretty good considering the financial situation and the fact last year was a bumper year for us. We had the snow very early last year and we're hoping that this year, although a little later, will be the same."

The change in the weather follows the warmest November on record, with an average temperature of 7.7°C (45.86°F) against the previous record of 7.5°C (45.5°F) set in 1994.

Figures from the Met Office also showed the autumn period from September to November had been the second warmest since records began in 1910. For the UK as a whole, the mean temperature over the three months was 11.2°C (52.16°F), while Scotland had an average temperature of 9.7°C (49.46°F).

Met Office forecaster Alexander Fox said: "The mild November was caused by winds blowing largely from a warm south or south-westerly direction, with a notable lack of cold northerly winds."

The warmer weather was in stark contrast to last year when most Scots were dealing with blizzards and freezing temperatures by November as winter arrived early.

Some parts of the country recorded extremely cold nights as the snow and ice caused traffic chaos on roads and railways.

Hundreds of drivers got stuck on the M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh after a "perfect storm" of snow during a morning rush hour in early December.

However, this year's milder weather brought its own problems as torrential rain and high winds resulted in further disruptions for drivers and commuters.

Scores of flood warnings were issued earlier this week as some areas witnessed a month's rainfall within 24 hours. Strathclyde Fire and Rescue service was called out to more than 150 incidents as people became stranded in flood water. Roads were closed and many rail and ferry services were cancelled.

There were scenes of chaos as a school in Abington, South Lanarkshire, was forced to evacuate and some motorists were letf standing on the roofs of their semi-submerged vehicles.

Overall, between 20mm and 47mm of rain fell across Scotland. Tyndrum in Stirlingshire was the wettest, with 47mm of rain, while Glasgow had 38mm.