Commuter chaos as Scots battle back to work after the festive break through ice and snow
Scotland is bracing itself for the coldest week of the winter with heavy snow and ice set to cause travel chaos for commuters as they return to work after the festive break.
A yellow warning covering much of the central belt and southern Scotland has been extended until midday Monday as the country faces a ‘two-pronged attack’ from different weather systems simultaneously battering the country.
Strong winds, drifting snow and ice are all expected to make for ‘difficult driving conditions’, with temperatures predicted to plunge to as low as minus 17C Tuesday night.
It came as conditions swept much of the north of England yesterday, leaving major airports paralysed and roads at a standstill - as forecasters predicted a further battering of snow for the South this week.
Hours of blizzards saw much of northern England, the Midlands and Wales wake up to a carpet of white up to six-and-a-half inches deep as temperatures dropped to -11C.
The Met Office is warning that rural communities in Scotland ‘could be cut off’, with the risk of power cuts and the potential for travel disruption with air and rail cancellations.
It comes as schools get set to welcome pupils back into the classroom and many adults return to work after the two-week Christmas break.
Loch Glaschgarnoch, near Garve, Wester Ross, recorded the second coldest temperature of the winter so far when the mercury plummeted to minus 11.1C overnight yesterday, just shy of the 11.2C previously recorded at Tyndrum, Perthshire, last month.
Traffic drives through falling snow in Edinburgh as wintry conditions close in on the city
The 15th century Smailholm Tower near Kelso in Roxburghshire in a bleak snow covered landscape
But forecasters are warning more weather alerts could be issued later in the week as the wintry conditions show no signs of abating, with Orkney and Shetland set for some of the strongest gusts reaching up to 60mph.
Meteorologist Johnathan Vautrey said parts of Scotland could be treated to sunny spells between snow showers.
But he warned that as skies clear in more sheltered areas, where the white stuff has accumulated following persistent snowfall, temperatures could drop to as low as ‘minus 15C and minus 17C’ by tomorrow night.
He said: ‘This is because snow is a big reflector of heat and doesn’t allow it to be stored in the ground during the day so temperatures by night really plummet.’
And he said: ‘With strong winds, drifting snow and blizzarding conditions, particularly in northern areas, there is the potential for travel disruption.’
Following a widespread amber warning for heavy snow on Saturday night, Bingley in West Yorkshire recorded a depth of 17cm (6½in).
Emma Norton used skis to get about the village of Carrbridge with baby Thomas
Shap in Cumbria and Capel Curig in Gwynedd, north Wales, were both blanketed in 10cm (4in) of snow, the forecaster said.
Amid the punishing conditions, Brecon Mountain Rescue team were called out to save campers near Cwm Lwch, in South Wales.
Birmingham Airport suspended operations for several hours on Saturday night while staff cleared snow.
Runways at Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon airports were then shut for part of the morning yesterday, leading to cancellations and delays.
Leeds Bradford Airport was unable to resume flights until the early afternoon, with all the affected airports warning of disruption throughout the day.
Snow also closed routes across the Pennines including the A66 and A628 Woodhead Pass.
An aerial view of snow covered village of Leadhills in Lanarkshire
The Strathspey Steam Railway was still running despite the recent snow and cold weather which stopped Scotrail running some of its services
There are two warnings for snow and ice in place for Scotland until 11am and midday Monday which cover vast swathes of the country including the Highlands and Islands, Dumfries and Galloway, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus and Perthshire.
A third warning for snow covers much of the central belt and the Borders.
As much as eight inches of snow was predicted to fall overnight in southern Scotland, but forecasters are warning that as ‘precipitation clears erratically eastwards [this morning], ice is likely to form on untreated surfaces’.
Aberdeenshire, Moray, and parts of Angus, Perthshire and Strathspey were also expected to see more than four inches of snow fall on higher ground.
Mr Vautrey said the reason for the widespread snowfall was because the country was facing a ‘two-pronged attack’ thanks to the weather system that saw parts of England placed under a rare ‘danger to life’ amber warning sweeping into Scotland and a northerly wind pushing in from the Arctic.
It comes as England and Wales was plunged into chaos at the weekend as heavy snow and freezing rain caused widespread travel disruption and power outages.
Several major airports were also closed, while Brecon Mountain Rescue team were called out to save campers near Cwm Lwch, in South Wales.
In an effort to cope with the early January cold snap, Scotland’s fleet of named and unnamed gritters and ploughs has been out in force across the country.
The alert for snow, which covers much of central Scotland, states: ‘There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.’
It also highlights the chance that ‘some rural communities could become cut off’ and said there is ‘a chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel’.
The AA, meanwhile, advises motorists to ensure their cars are clear of snow and ice before heading off.
Its website states: ‘It’s not illegal to drive with snow on your car, but the law does stipulate that all the windows on your car need to be clear so that you can see through all of them.....If you get into an accident with snow on your windows, this could be viewed as dangerous driving.’
Motorists were also urged to plan ahead and make sure they have essentials, including warm clothing, food, water, a torch, ice-scraper and in-car phone charger, in the event of any delays, with day-time temperatures likely to remain below freezing for much of the week.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mike Silverstone, said: ‘The low pressure that brought the snow and heavy rain in the south will move out to the east by Monday.
'This will allow a cold northerly flow to become established again for much of next week.
'This will bring further sleet, snow and hail showers to northern Scotland in particular, but possibly to some other areas, especially near western coasts, with a fair amount of dry and bright weather elsewhere.
‘Temperatures will remain below average, with widespread frost and the threat of ice at times. Some areas, especially in the north, may struggle to get above freezing for several days.’
