The final weekend of 2012 is forecast to be "cold and unpleasant" across the country with wintry showers and strong winds.
Winds are expected to reach speeds of 50mph throughout Scotland while treacherous conditions are predicted on higher ground.
In particular the highlands in the west will be blasted with blizzards, gale force winds and heavy snow as well as thunderstorms potentially.
Matt Dobson, senior forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "Over the weekend it will remain windy with gust of over 50mph quite widely across Scotland particularly on Sunday when it will pick up again.
"It will be getting colder through Saturday and Sunday with the risk of some wintry showers.
"Over higher ground there will be some snow and it will be quite blizzard-like conditions on the mountains. So for people out walking it could be quite treacherous with gale force winds and heavy snow, maybe even the odd thunderstorm as well particularly in the western highlands.
"At low level showers will mainly be of sleet and hail but up on the hills the snow is likely to accumulate quite deeply.
"On the roads there will be the risk of ice as well as slush accumulating.
"It will be quite nasty conditions on higher ground but even at lower levels it will be cold and unpleasant."
