Last updated 10:26, Friday, 05 December 2008

Police this morning told Cumbrian motorists to beware of treacherous driving conditions.

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They are being urged to take care as the county’s roads are covered in ice.

A spokesman said: “Many roads appear to be damp or wet but underneath they have an icy surface.”

Yesterday, 41 schools were closed thanks to snow, which blocked the A6, A66, the A686 and the A592. Bin collections and mobile library services were also disrupted.

Snow is not expected to return over the weekend. The Met Office forecast is dry with mist and fog.

The A66 cross Pennine route from Cumbria to North Yorkshire reopened yesterday after being closed by snow.

The busy route was opened again to traffic at Stainmore at around 12.44pm after the section between Bowes and Brough was closed because of blizzard conditions.

Meanwhile an ambulance came off the road yesterday and ended up in a ditch as snow brought trouble to Cumbria’s roads for the second time in a week. The paramedics were at Blencow, near Penrith, when the accident happened, at about 4.15am.

They escaped without injury and the ambulance was back on the road within a couple of hours. There was no patient in it at the time.

Police said there were three other weather related crashes in North Cumbria, but despite the treacherous conditions no-one was hurt.

A chunk of ice flew off a HGV and through the windscreen of a Mercedes Sprinter van travelling along the A69 at Low Row near Brampton.

A Ford Focus in Laithes near Penrith, hit ice and slid into a gritter bin. At Greystoke near Penrith a VW Golf came off the road.

Police, the County Council and the Highways Agency began preparing for the worst on Wednesday after the Met Office issued severe weather warnings.

The Highways Agency drafted in extra crews and control room staff to cope with the anticipated problems.

County council gritters got started at 4pm and Highways Agency vehicles were also out overnight.

The snow began to fall at about 2am yesterday, a little later than expected.

Just before 6am the A66 was shut, leaving 15 HGVs waiting to get through. Police officers were deployed to help the drivers get to cafes for a warm wait until the roads re-open.

Forty one schools across the county closed due to the bad weather. They were:

Primary Schools:

• Parkview Nursery, Millom
• Tebay School
• Thwaites School, Millom
• St Cuthbert's, Windermere
• Goodly Dale
• Hawkshead Esthwaite
• St Patrick's, Endmoor
• Windermere CE Junior
• St Mary's, Windmere
• Lazonby School
• Dent School
• Morland Area School, Penrith
• Kirkbie Kendal School
• Crosby Ravensworth
• Appleby Primary
• Greystoke
• St Catherine's, Penrith
• Milburn School, Penrith
• Asby Endowed, Appleby
• Welton School
• Flookburgh
• Flimby
• Lowther Endowed, Hackthorpe
• Beaconside Primary, Penrith
• Coniston Primary
• Bolton School, near Appleby
• Langdale
• Old Hutton, near Kendal
• Penruddock, near Penrith
• St Bega’s, Eskdale
• Staveley

Special schools:

• James Rennie, Carlisle
• Sandgate School, Kendal

Secondary schools:

• Netherhall, Maryport
• Samuel King's, Alston

William Howard School in Brampton was open but Telfords Coaches were not picking up. Castle Carrock School was also open but Kevin Brown Buses were not running.

Both Netherhall and Flimby schools notified parents on Wednesday night that they would close because of the Met Office’s severe weather warning.

Netherhall head David Sibbit said it is the first time he had taken a decision to close the school because of a forecast.

“We made the decision to close because it really did seem as though we were going to face problems. Some of our staff and students travel some distance. A lot of students come by bus. Several buses were not running on Wednesday because of the ice.

“The forecast was so definite that we also decided the decision would give parents maximum time to get any cover if they needed the day off.

“We look a bit foolish now but we made the decision on a forecast that was certain that much of the snow would fall on Cumbria and Galloway,” he added.

Mike Cunningham, head of Flimby school, said they gave parents maximum warning based on the forecast.

In some parts of Allerdale black ice and snow has stopped bin wagons from picking up rubbish. Areas hit include Warnell, Caldbeck, Keswick, Borrowdale, Whinlatter, Hesket Newmarket, Portinscale, Rickerby Grange, Hawsend, Swinside Lodge and Mealhouse.

Allerdale council has reassured residents that every effort will be made to provide them with a collection.

Just after 6.30am, a Stagecoach bus heading to Millom became stuck in snow and ice near Duddon Bridge. Nearby a lorry from M Knight Ltd also came to a standstill, causing massive tailbacks which left commuters stuck in traffic jams for an hour and a half.

In Langholm, where the snow was three or four inches deep, the Academy plus Langholm, Canonbie and Glenzier primary schools were closed.

Roads also affected in the Dumfries and Galloway region were:

• A74(M) north of junction 15, Beattock. Lanes 1 & 2 clear, lane 3 passable with care, in both directions
• A701 Dumfries to Moffat road. Parkgate southbound lane closed, northbound passable with care, running very slowly. Gritters have been requested
• A7 Carlisle to Edinburgh. Snow lying between Langholm and Canonbie, snow lying in Langholm town centre
• A709 Dumfries to Lockerbie. Snow and slush on roadway, passable with care
• A76 snow on roadway, near to Mennock Black ice Sanquahar to Thornhill
• B6357 Canonbie to Newcastleton. Road closed, several vehicles have become stuck

Blizzards had been forecast to hit Cumbria and severe weather warnings were issued.

Met Office forecasts revealed a “high risk” of drifting and heavy snowfall reaching eight inches deep in some parts.

The warnings came after snow and ice created treacherous conditions on the county’s roads on Tuesday.

Police saw 96 accidents on the roads on Tuesday – more collisions in one 24-hour period than they have seen for years.

While most were minor, police warned motorists to take extra care.

Cumbria County Council’s entire 27-strong gritting wagon fleet was out on the highways.

The road known as The Struggle, from Ambleside to Kirkstone Pass Inn, was only passable by 4wd vehicles.

On Tuesday morning, police urged motorists to only drive if it was necessary because conditions on many roads were dangerous.

Problems emerged after temperatures reached as low as -5C on higher ground during the night.

Detective Inspector Cliff Walker said that the accidents were mostly minor bumps from cars hitting others. He added: “It is due to the weather, it has been treacherous.”

In Allerdale, the council warned on Tuesday that some of its services would be affected by the frosty conditions.

Due to the temperatures dropping below freezing point, several public toilets which are owned and maintained by the council had to be closed for safety reasons.

In north Cumbria a number of schools were forced to close, partly because pupils due to travel to them by bus were unable to get there.

Snow fell on higher ground, affecting places such as Brampton. In parts of Carlisle there appeared to be a dusting of snow sitting on top of ice.

Inspector Ann Hodgson said: “Police are advising motorist to drive with care due to treacherous road conditions. Snow and ice is affecting the whole county.”

If drivers had to use the roads, they were urged to allow extra time for their journeys.

The trans-Pennine A66 was closed for a time at Brough because of the snowfall.

Anyone with queries about road conditions or closures, is urged to call the Highways Agency hotline – 0845 609 6609.

For further information on council services contact Allerdale council’s Customer Service Centre on 01900 702702 or email: customer.service@allerdale.gov.uk

Temperatures plummeted to -11 degrees C in parts of Cumbria over the weekend, making it one of the coldest snaps of the year.

Landscapes were dusted with frost and snow and a freezing fog made for treacherous driving conditions on Saturday and Sunday.

Freezing temperatures forced the closure of a race meeting at Carlisle Racecourse on Sunday.

The jumps meeting had to be abandoned because of frost. Officials say they were left with no option after an overnight temperature of minus five.

Clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch said: “It got down to minus five overnight and it was not going to really warm up, and we also had fog as well.”

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