Snow brings Britain to a standstill
6:03am Sunday 5th February 2012 in Where I Live
Snow brings Britain to a standstill
The first widespread big freeze of the winter has brought snow up to 16cm deep, grounded planes and raised fears of transport chaos.
With most of the UK on amber alert, the Met Office's second highest severe weather warning, flights were cancelled and a string of sporting fixtures fell victim to the big chill.
Flurries fell over Scotland, northern England and the Midlands on Saturday before moving down to London and East Anglia.
Church Fenton in North Yorkshire recorded 16cm of snow, while up to 15cm was forecast for parts of Cumbria, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, North Yorkshire, the Peak District and the Midlands. Most parts of the country are expected to wake up to between 5cm and 10cm on Sunday morning.
At Heathrow Airport a third of Sunday's flights have been axed amid adverse weather conditions and the possibility of freezing fog.
Passengers travelling through Gatwick were warned to expect some disruption and delays, with cancellations remaining a possibility. Stansted, Birmingham and Luton airports were forced to suspend operations on Saturday night as snow piled up on the runways.
The runway at Stansted was shut "temporarily" for snow clearing and a spokeswoman said flights were due to take off from the airport from 6.10am. A spokeswoman for Luton Airport said there had been some cancellations and diverted flights but said she expected flights to depart as normal from about 6am.
On the roads, motorists faced what the RAC described as a "dangerous cocktail of driving conditions" and were urged to stay at home where possible. Some minor routes closed altogether.
The Highways Agency extended its amber alert until 9am, meaning there was a "high probability" of severe snow and a risk of difficult driving conditions. Kevin Andrews, RAC patrol ambassador, said the wintry weather and sub-zero temperatures had left roads "extremely treacherous".
