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We've had snow/hail showers all day starting from 10 o'clockish but it was after lunchtime that it started to lie on the ground.

20 odd schools over Aberdeenshire shut at some point during the day.

The Met Office was right - snowed last night here in Somerset and more on the way I think.

The first snow of the winter in England has fallen with Devon, Dorset and North Yorkshire among areas hit overnight.

In Devon there were reports of snow up to eight inches (20cm) deep with road conditions hazardous and police warning people to only make essential journeys.

Several crashes were reported in Dorset with a coach carrying 29 children stuck in the snow at Lyme Regis.

About two inches (5cm) of snow fell on the North Yorkshire Coast and North York Moors with more roads blocked.

Significant snow was also expected to fall in Norfolk and Suffolk on Friday.

'Absolutely treacherous'

Pc Terry Hodgson, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "There have been a large number of collisions across Devon and we are advising people to only make journeys if extremely necessary and in an appropriate vehicle."

Snowploughs have been called out to help clear roads in Dorset, with the worst hit areas around Lyme Regis, Bridport and Charmouth.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: "The roads are absolutely treacherous and conditions are very bad. Vehicles are having difficulty getting up the hills."

Snowfalls in Somerset saw thousands of school pupils told to stay at home with more than a dozen schools closed across the county.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning, predicting heavy snow and blizzards for several regions, while the Highways Agency advised drivers to prepare themselves and their cars and to slow down on roads.

Story from :
BBC NEWS
Published: 2005/11/25 12:05:11 GMT

Times Online
November 25, 2005
By Simon Freeman

A dramatic operation was tonight under way in Cornwall to rescue more than 200 motorists stranded in freezing temperatures after a crash on snow-covered Bodmin Moor.

As darkness fell, two RAF Sea King helicopters were flying over to assess how many people are stuck in the dozens of cars and coaches backed up six miles along the A30, near to the Jamaica Inn. Another six helicopters from the nearby St Mawgan RAF training centre were on standby to airlift the motorists to safety.

At least nine coaches are among the vehicles which ground to a halt after 10 inches of snow fell in the space of a few hours this morning. Snow ploughs and gritting vehicles are among the stranded.

Devon and Cornwall Police declared a major incident because of the serious risk to human life, and called in military assistance at just after 2pm.

"Two Sea Kings are in the air at the moment and we are waiting to hear exactly what the situation is," said an RAF spokesman.

"They are assessing whether people are OK and can stay in their vehicles with the heaters on or whether they need to be rescued. If they need to evacuate we would have to winch them aboard one or two at a time - we couldn't risk landing the helicopters because of the deep drifts.

"There is also a concern because they will have to be winched from quite a height to prevent the snow from being blown up into even more spectacular drifts. The forecast is for the snow to continue until about 7pm - if conditions become too bad for us to fly, then this rescue will take on an extra dimension."

The incident is reported to have unfolded after several lorries overturned and a number of other minor crashes occured on the dual carriageway, between Bodmin and Launceston.

Each helicopter is capable of carrying 17 people: local hotels and community halls in surrounding villages have been told to prepare for the possible arrival of the stricken travellers. The cars and coaches would be left in situ.

Sgt Alan Mobbs, of Devon and Cornwall police, said rescue teams were on their way and urged people to stay in their cars until help arrives.

"We will be getting people there as soon as we can, which is why we have asked for military assistance," he said.

Mike Collenzo, manager of the Jamaica Inn, said he had filled 17 of his rooms with drivers who had abandoned their cars for the night. "I've never seen anything like this up here," he told the BBC.

"Speaking to a few older locals, they've said it's not since the 60s they've seen weather like this."

When will we have snow over here?



I hope you all are ok over there!

Your turn will come Mari A, you can have this lot when the frozen North of Scotland have finished with it.
Jezi might even send you a few snowballs

We don't actually have much! There was a bit last night (NOTHING like the place on GMTV this morning which I've never actually visited but is apparently 20 miles from Aberdeen. ) after it being on and off all day however today there was a bit of sleet and then loads of rain so despite the fact it's been quite chilly not much snow.

I'm sure you'll get plenty Mari!

*still think that Shetland Pony looks like an American Bison*

We had snow today, yipee. It's like a winter wonderland. Just a pity for the poor people trapped in schools and on roads.

Are there people still trapped in schools? It must be bad.

Yep, in Cornwall there are. Buses can't get to the schools and loads of children live out in the country where the roads are inpassable. So they're stuck at school or have been put up in a hotel for the night. They've even got a helicopter to drop of food etc at one.

We only had about half an inch here and most of it is gone now. But Bristol had about three inches

That is really scary. Hope they manage to get out soon, people sometimes say they shut schools too quickly but when you hear about things like that maybe they are right to.

Nowadays our school isn't shut nearly as quickly as it used to be though.

Thanks Jim D and Jezi! Your words seemed to help: this morning everything was beautifully white and snowy (about 15 cm)! But it will turn into a rain on Sunday or Monday and it all melts away again I'll better have to go to ski with children still in this evening (I just came back home from work)

And that sounds terrible what has happened to you in Cornwall - hope that situation will be over soon and children can go home!

heres the story about the kids trapped in schools. by the wya we are scottish borders and we had 10 mins of snow on thursday followed by horrible rain storms last night and this morning.

Blizzards and freezing conditions have brought parts of Britain to a standstill, leaving pupils stranded at school and miles of tailbacks as motorists became stuck.

In South West England around 1,000 youngsters were still stuck in schools, although that number was decreasing gradually.

Cornwall County Council education spokesman Trevor Cooper said it was possible that in one or two cases youngsters would have to stay at school overnight, but food and water was available.

"It is obviously of great concern to parents, but the safety of children must come first," he said.

In West Wales, a group of people were taken to hospital after being struck by lightening.

An ambulance spokesman said a man was taken to hospital suffering from burns after being struck in the Preseli mountains.

Four people who were with the man sustained more minor injuries, and were ferried to hospital by car.

An operation to rescue 500 people from vehicles stranded on snow hit Bodmin Moor in Cornwall was under way, as a convoy of four-wheel drive vehicles organised by Devon and Cornwall police began ferrying motorists to a number of reception centres.

There were no reports of injuries, police said.

More than 100 vehicles - including coaches - had ground to a halt on the A30, where residents say over 5 inches of snow has fallen. The trapped drivers were being urged to stay put until assistance arrived.

There were 6-mile tailbacks on the A30 westbound and gritters and snowploughs were at the scene but it was proving very difficult to get traffic moving again, Devon and Cornwall police said.

Chief Inspector Ian Aspinall said it was the worst weather he had seen in 19 years.

Driver Toby Smith had to abandon his journey across Cornwall after his car became stuck in a hedge just outside Bodmin.

Speaking from an emergency reception centre in Bodmin he said: "There were cars stuck in the hedges everywhere, and most places were just gridlocked."

Meanwhile police forces in the worst-hit parts of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and South West England reported a spate of weather-related rescues and crashes on treacherous roads, despite gritters working flat out overnight.

A South Wales Police spokesman said conditions had been particularly bad in the valleys and a 50mph speed limit was placed on the M4.

Lorry drivers were advised to avoid the Rhondda area as some roads were impassable due to thick snow and some smaller roads were closed

Hundreds of people who spent the night in shelters after they were stranded in treacherous weather conditions returned home.

About 1,000 people were stuck in a six-mile tailback for several hours as five inches of snow fell and traffic ground to a halt on the A30 at Cornwall's Bodmin Moor.

By just before midnight police said everyone had been rescued and about 500 people, from new born babies to pensioners, were forced to sleep on crash mats in leisure centres.

Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that everyone had left the make-shift rest centres and that only two or three cars remained abandoned on the A39 at Camelford.

Simon Blamey, head of leisure services at North Cornwall District Council, said all 350 people who slept at the Dragon Leisure Centre, in Bodmin, had set off home.

"All the public have gone. They have all returned to their cars and are either on their way home or have got home," said Mr Blamey.

Forecasters have predicted an ease in weather conditions with brighter spells and scattered showers.

Elsewhere, snow will turn into showers in the parts of Scotland and Wales which were also badly effected as roads were blocked and schools closed.

But heavy snow and blizzards will return later on high ground in eastern and western Scotland.

In Wales, the weather caused early disruption to schools, roads and the delivery of mail.

Earlier, a South Wales Police spokesman said conditions had been particularly bad in the valleys with a 50mph speed limit on the M4.

Ananova