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Weather warnings as snow hits northern England Heavy snow hits north of England, closing schools and key roads
(about 4 hours later)
Parts of the UK have woken up to almost 10cm of snow on Friday morning. Weather warnings are in place for Northern Ireland, north Wales, northern and western England and Scotland as a frontal system continues to make its way in from the Atlantic. Schools have been shut, flights delayed and key roads closed in the north of England, as heavy snowfall continued across the region.
The greatest snowfall – up to 99mm (3.9ins) – was forecast to hit the Peak District and the Pennines, and daytime temperatures on Friday will struggle to reach 4C (39.2F) in Leeds and Manchester, and 3C in Bradford. Areas around the southern Pennines and Peak District were worst hit, with 10cm (4 inches) of snow reported on high ground.
More than 60 schools in Bradford were closed, as well as 38 in Calderdale, 18 in Saddleworth on the Lancashire-Yorkshire border, 14 in Tameside, eight in Kirklees and a handful in Leeds and Barnsley.
Heavy overnight snow in east Lancashire also led to the closure of up to 50 schools, with the Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale areas most affected.
Related: Bad weather in the UK: help us document the effects of the snowRelated: Bad weather in the UK: help us document the effects of the snow
In the early hours of Friday more than 1cm fell across high ground in northern England, including at Leeds Bradford airport in West Yorkshire, where flights were delayed. Similar snowfall was recorded at Leek in Staffordshire and Shap in Cumbria, and several A-roads were closed over the high Pennines in south Yorkshire. The Met Office has warned motorists to allow extra time for journeys because of icy conditions on the roads.
The Met Office yellow warnings cover snow and ice and warn of difficult driving conditions and the likelihood of travel disruption as a result. Forecaster Alex Burkill said: “There could definitely be some significant accumulations by the time people wake up. It’s going to be pretty chilly and it’s going to feel pretty unpleasant in some parts.” All routes between Manchester and Sheffield were affected, with both the A628 Woodhead Pass and A57 Snake Pass closed and problems on the M62 and M1 due to accidents.
Highways England said no disruption had been seen on major routes before the morning rush hour. The Cat and Fiddle road between Macclesfield and Buxton was also shut, along with Winnats Pass, the steep road connecting the Hope Valley with Chapel-en-le-Frith in the High Peak district.
While the south and south-east will escape the snowfall on Friday, experiencing a mostly dry and clear day, those areas are likely to have a soggy Saturday, Burkill said. “The frontal system will push its way eastwards as we go through Saturday morning, bringing rain, so it is not looking like a great day across many eastern and south-eastern parts of England,” he added. Weather warnings were issued for Northern Ireland, north Wales, northern and western England, and Scotland as a frontal system came in from the Atlantic.
Temperatures could reach 10C (50F) in London on Friday, and 6-7C in Scotland, but the “cold zone” across northern England and north Wales will remain wintry. By the early hours of Friday just over 2.5cm had fallen across high ground in northern England.
Strong north-easterly winds and wintry showers in many places will ensure temperatures remain below normal at least until the middle of next week. Burkill said: “Late next week is probably the best that we can hope for, for temperatures to pick up.” Similar snowfall was recorded at Leek in Staffordshire and Shap in Cumbria, and several A roads were closed over the high Pennines in south Yorkshire.
Leeds Bradford airport was earlier forced to close as crews worked to clear the runway, after 5cm of snow fell overnight. Flights resumed at 9am, but further delays were expected.
Manchester airport was open as usual, with snow causing minor delays to some flights.
Strong, north-easterly winds and wintry showers in many places will ensure temperatures remain below normal at least until the middle of next week, the Met Office said.