Drivers urged to prepare for snow

Jan 13 2013

A week of wintry weather has started with the arrival of the first widespread snow showers of the year.

Wintry showers started in the north east of Scotland on Saturday and quickly spread south overnight. Accumulations of around 3cm have fallen in the east and the Borders with more snow expected on Monday morning.

The average temperature of around 2C is expected to fall dramatically and the Met Office has issued yellow "be prepared" weather warnings for Grampian, Central, Tayside and Fife, the Lothians and the Borders, Strathclyde and the Highlands. Ice warnings have been issued for much of the country with rain and sleet mixing with the snowfall.

Paul Mott, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the Press Association's weather division, said on Sunday: "Generally, there have been bands of rain and wet snow moving south east across the country with 2cm falling in higher regions and maybe 1cm in lower areas, but it has tended to be slushy as it mixes with rain.

"Snow will continue to fall in the east through tonight from Aberdeenshire down to the Borders and pushing into England, and there will be a more general second band of snow covering the central belt and pushing north from early on Monday morning. We could see around 3cm falling in some areas and 5 to 10cms in the mountains.

"Freezing temperatures could be a problem as they fall through tonight and remain low for most of the week creating ice in and around all of the major cities as the sleet and snow falls."

The AA has warned that 75% of drivers are not prepared for conditions on the roads, and urged drivers to carry an essential winter kit and check their cars before getting behind the wheel.

The RAC is expecting up to 56,000 breakdowns and widespread disruption across the UK. It has placed extra patrols on stand-by to help stranded motorists and said call-outs are expected to rise by 20% or more.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said councils have increased amounts of grit and salt to treat major routes. He said: "With more seasonal conditions now arriving across parts of the country drivers should be braced for a more testing return to work tomorrow than last Monday, especially in areas still experiencing freezing temperatures.

"We can expect colder days, overnight frosts, a risk of widespread ice, some freezing fog and snow. While the Met Office predicts that Scotland is expected to escape the most severe weather in other parts of the UK, I would ask the public to remain vigilant and drive to the conditions."