Amber warning of snow issued as schools and nurseries closed

Snow is continuing to cause disruption across some parts of Scotland, and more is forecast.

More than 100 schools and nurseries in Shetland, the Highlands and Aberdeenshire have been forced to close on Tuesday due to snow and icy conditions.

Road temperatures remain below 0C across the north and north-east, and Traffic Scotland has advised drivers in Moray, Angus, the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen city to use caution when travelling.

Officials said gritters are working around the clock to keep roads safe.

Aberdeenshire Council tweeted: “Gritters have been out since 5.40am treating all primary routes, followed by secondary routes and priority footpaths. Please take extra care on the roads today.”

Meanwhile, a Met Office warning for snow has been upgraded to an amber alert for the Highlands and Grampian, including Aberdeen, from 3pm on Tuesday until midnight.

The amber warning says there will be heavy snow which could lead to travel disruption, with rail delays and cancellations likely and a chance that some rural communities could be cut off.

Power cuts are also likely and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.

Police Scotland warned the public to expect a high risk of disruption in the amber warning area.

Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock, head of road policing, said: “We would encourage people to plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel. If you are travelling, prepare yourself and your vehicle for the conditions.

“Stopping distances can be up to 10 times greater in snow compared to dry roads so keep well back from the road user in front, check your windscreen washer levels, ensure your mobile phone is charged, and have sufficient fuel and warm clothing in case your journey is delayed.”

A spokesperson for the Met Office said on Tuesday: “A yellow warning for snow and ice, which cover the whole of northern-east and north-west in Scotland as well as the northern isles as well, started yesterday and runs all the way through to 9am tomorrow morning.

“That covers the continuation of frequent heavy snow showers for much of this area through today until tomorrow morning, so we could see 10-20cm of snow, but more likely to be 2-5cm of snow quite widely from the coastline to further inland.

“We’ve also issued an amber warning this morning within that area covering from Aberdeen along through to Inverness up to northern parts of Scotland, not quite reaching the coastline.

“We could have an accumulation of up to 15cm in quite a short period of time. The other element to this warning is the strong winds. This can cause the drifting of snow and potential gale force winds. Hence, why the amber warning has been issued.”

The Met Office also advised that people keep an eye on the forecast throughout the week as it is “likely” more warnings will be issued.

The Scottish Avalanche Information Service has increased the avalanche hazard alert in five areas, Glencoe, Creag Meagaidh, Lochaber, north Cairngorms and Torridon, to “considerable”, meaning there is a possibility of a natural avalanche occurring.

Transport minister Jenny Gilruth said: “The Met Office is telling us to expect a period of challenging weather, with an amber warning for snow issued for large parts of the Highlands and Grampian, as well as northern parts of Tayside and Fife.

“The conditions will likely cause difficult driving conditions and disruption to the wider transport network, so it’s important that anyone that has to travel during the warning period plans their journey ahead of time. If possible, people at work should consider whether they can leave early to avoid travelling during the amber warning period.

“Motorists can check with Traffic Scotland to make sure that their route is available. The new Traffic Scotland website gives people access to the latest travel information and the Traffic Scotland Twitter page is also updated regularly.”