Britain is set to be plunged into a deep freeze throughout January with no prospect of a thaw on the horizon, forecasters say.
The Met Office says it will be colder than average for the time of year with more snow, ice, frost, freezing fog and sub-zero temperatures.
Much of the country was blanketed in snow yesterday, with up to five inches falling in Horwich, near Bolton, Greater Manchester.
A low of -7.5C was recorded in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire. Met Office yellow warnings for snow and ice in the north remained in place for most of the day, and much of the South Coast was icy early on.
Snowfall from earlier in the week remained frozen in many areas, making roads treacherous.
North West Motorway Police urged people to drive with care after accidents, while Transport for Greater Manchester told people to expect delays.
Roads were shut in Cornwall and across the south west. Trains in Merseyside and Cheshire were disrupted and police in North Wales told drivers to stay at home.
Met Office forecaster Clare Nasir warned of a “risk of ice with a wintry mix and fairly widespread frost.”
RAC spokesman Simon Williams urged drivers to “exercise caution” and “adjust their speed according to the conditions and leave extra stopping distance so 2021 doesn’t begin with an unwelcome bump and an insurance claim”.
He added: “Snow and ice are by far the toughest driving conditions, so if they can be avoided that’s probably the best policy.”
But the snow brought fun for others.
Paul Cullen, 48, built a 7ft Dalek snowman in his garden in Mow Cop, Staffs.
In Knutsford Cheshire, Jack Austin showed off his gymnastic skills to backflip off a giant snowball.
Bookies Coral made it odds on, at 4-6, that this winter will be the coldest since records began in the UK.
The coldest night of the winter so far – with a low of -10.2C – was recorded in Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands on Wednesday.
