Up to 100 drivers have sought refuge at an inn on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall after vehicles became stranded in heavy snow this evening.
Jamaica Inn has filled all of its rooms and laid out beds in its dining room after motorists were left trapped on roads during the severe weather on Thursday.
Pictures on social media showed huge tailbacks along the A30 during "significant" snowfall in southern England.
Drivers described being stuck for up to five hours in snow on the road from about 3.30pm, while some were set to spend the night in their cars.
An amber weather alert was issued covering parts of the south west and south Wales with up to 10cm of snow forecast in some areas.
Paul Dyre is currently staying at the Jamaica Inn after spending hours stuck on the A30.
He told the Standard that he was driving home from Dorset for work.
“It was okay up to the M5 and up to the A30, just a bit of frost. Halfway home it grounded to a halt. When it moved it was fine.
Mr Dyre was stuck in traffic for around three and a half hours and was only 22 miles away from home at one point.
“People were leaving cars and the snow was heavy. I managed to find a turn off and managed to get to the Jamaica Inn as I knew I was close as I live nearby,” he said.
“They’re laying out mattresses and there’s around 80 to 100 people here. They’re laying out beds in the dining room at the moment.
However some people remain stuck on the A30.
One man known as Matt on Twitter shared a picture shortly after 9pm tucking himself into a sleeping bag in his car.
One motorist told ITV News earlier: “I’ve come all the way from Exeter and it was bad in flurries. Now we’ve got to Temple and Bodmin Morr and it’s just gone crazy and everyone’s stuck. So it’s nuts.
Another said: “We were supposed to go to St Ives for a friend’s birthday but of course, we haven’t made it. But we’ve got games in the back so we can play them. We’ve got water, we’ve got food, apples.”
Highways England have said emergency services, winter teams and traffic officers are working hard to clear abandoned vehicles and snow from the carriageway.
They confirmed that around 100 vehicles are stranded on the A30 near Temple because of a whiteout.
An "intensive effort" is under way to help the stranded motorists, officials said this evening.
Cornwall Airport, near Newquay, was temporarily closed due to snow on Thursday afternoon.
Snow depths of 5cm were recorded by the Met Office by 6.30pm in Bodmin, Cornwall and Sennybridge, Powys and the weather was moving across southern England and Wales, affecting counties including Wilsthere, Hampshire, Sussex and Kent.
The Met Office also reported snowfall in in Wiltshire, Hampshire, Sussex and Kent.
