Drivers are urged to take care as a yellow weather warning is in force for Cumbria.
Cumbria police said ice and snow may be affecting the county’s roads and people are asked to make sure they drive to the road and weather conditions.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice from 7pm yesterday, Thursday February 12.
Westmorland & Furness Council said it had multiple teams out gritting in preparation and they worked through the night to carry out further patrols and treatment.
The weather warning remains in place until noon today, Friday February 13.
The Met Office said outbreaks of rain will fall as snow over higher hills initially, before the snow starts to fall to lower levels through yesterday evening.
Any settling snow will mainly be confined to high ground, above 200 metres. Two centimetres to 5cm is possible, and above 300 metres, a few locations may see as much as 10cm.
The rain and snow was expected to clear south during the early hours of today with temperatures expected to fall quickly as skies clear, leading to ice on untreated surfaces.
Drivers are urged to consider their route, drive to the conditions and allow extra time for their journeys as surfaces could still be slippery, even on gritted routes.
People are asked to:
- Allow yourself extra time to defrost your car in the morning and remember to stay with your vehicle while your windscreen defrosts.
- Leave extra time for travel – and always drive according to the conditions and any advice given out on road signs
- Be aware of weather weather warnings and drive with caution
- Take care when walking outside – paths may be slippery
What should I expect?
- Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
- Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths
- Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services
Why should I care about weather warnings?
Weather warnings are issued to let people know what weather is in store for their area and what its impact could be.
The Met Office is the UK’s official weather service and is responsible for issuing weather warnings to the public.There are three main levels of weather warning:
- Yellow – which asks people to be prepared for disruption
- Amber – which asks people to change plans that could be impacted by the weather and take action to protect themselves and their property
- Red – which is issued for weather that poses a danger to life and asks people to immediately take direct action to keep themselves and others safe from impacts of the weather
Yellow and amber warnings represent a range of impact levels and likelihoods of. This means it is important to read each warning to know what kind of impact to expect in your area, and how likely those impacts are to occur.
