The UK's first batch of snow this winter is forecast to be with us in a matter of days, but it's not the Beast from the East that will be responsible for its arrival.
Instead, it's the Troll from Trondheim that's set to turn large swatches of the north of Britain white next week.
That's the prediction from British Weather Services' Jim Dale, who claims he coined the Beast from the East phrase 25 years ago.
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He is now certain that a low pressure system from Norway, rather than Russia, will bring snowfall in just under a week's time.
Speaking to the Daily Express, Mr Dale said: "You can feel now it’s starting to get a bit colder but it is just ordinary – I call that no man’s land which we will be in for the next five to six days yet.
"In Scandinavia, north of Norway, pressure is starting to go low – and that low elongates and will move towards us carrying the cloud with it but also low pressure bringing precipitation which is bound to be snow. Scotland will be the first to taste this."
The dates to be aware of are December 10-15, he claimed.
Mr Dale added: "I think what’s happening is the low pressure zone is coming south and through the North Sea. We will see where it goes – whether it will affect the Midlands and south – which at the moment it probably will."
The question mark over whether the nation will get a white Christmas remains, though.
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"It will be the start of scraping the ice off the car," the global meteorologist continued. "It will go from fridge to freezer which will be turned up a notch putting us in a very strong position for Christmas.
"That is still some time away – but it does set the scene in the run up. The freezing air from Scandinavia will be a catalyst for snow showers – big snow showers."
On the Beast from the East remaining in its cage, Mr Dale said: "The beast is going to stay where it is for now – we might even get a beast behind the troll. We could get an easterly from the troll’s backside but that is too far away to be certain."
Barring a "Pest from the West" bringing a warmer front of weather, Mr Dale is "90% sure" that temperatures are going to get colder in the coming week – not just in this country, but in Belgium and Central Europe as well.
Weather maps are suggesting snow will hit Scotland and Newcastle early on December 10, and then become more widespread on December 11 when eastern England, the Midlands and London could be affected from midday.
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