County spared worst of weather

Shropshire escaped the worst of the blizzards as an Arctic snap swept over the UK yesterday, but forecasters warned there could be more snow to come causing some disruption to travellers.

Despite warnings of a possible 10cm to 15cm of snow falling in the county yesterday, most of the region suffered from heavy rain and sleet with just a thin dusting of snow.

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But on higher ground in the north of the county and in the Shropshire Hills substantial amounts of snow fell with areas around Oswestry being covered by a coating of several inches.

Hardest hit was Mid Wales with almost 10 inches of snow blown in by bitterly cold winds causing treacherous driving conditions.

But low-lying areas of Shropshire, like Bridgnorth, escaped the snow altogether.

Gritters worked around the clock to make sure that roads stayed open in advance of the predicted deluge.

In Telford, a light coating of snow fell overnight, but preventative action by Telford & Wrekin Council stopped icy patches forming on most routes despite low temperatures. One road in Much Wenlock was closed because of ice, but it soon re-opened after it was treated.

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for parts of Wales and the Midlands as a second front of bad weather heads this way.

But Shropshire weatherman John Warner said: "Temperatures seem to be rising a little which means for most of the region any further falls will be of sleet rather than snow."