Met Office extends Aberdeenshire and Moray snow warning into Friday amid widespread travel disruption and forecasts of up to 20cm of additional snowfall
An active snow and ice warning for northern Aberdeenshire and Moray has been extended by another 24 hours amid widespread disruption in the region.
Heavy overnight snowfall has closed many schools across the north of Scotland and also brought chaotic scenes to parts of the region’s transport network.
As well as road closures, many bus services have been disrupted, some rail journeys have been cancelled and even some CalMac services were affected.
And the Met Office has now warned residents to expect more of the same, with a further 20cm of snow now being predicted on high ground, and additional depths of between two and five centimetres being predicted “fairly widely” elsewhere.
Confirming the newly-extended yellow warning, which will remain in force until midday on Friday, a Met Office spokesperson said: “Snow and ice is likely to result in difficult travelling conditions.
“Snow showers will affect many northern and western areas of Scotland through Thursday afternoon and overnight into Friday.
“The showers will be frequent at times and may also be accompanied by hail. Snow accumulations are likely to reach 2 to 5 cm fairly widely with up to 10 cm in some areas, especially northern parts of the mainland.
“Over high ground, above about 300 metres, 15 to 20 cm could accumulate in this time period.
“Ice will will be an additional hazard, forming readily on untreated surfaces (particularly after dark), including windward coasts and the Northern Isles where showers will be sleety at times leaving surfaces wet.”
The new warning covers northern Aberdeenshire, Moray, Nairn-shire, Inverness-shire, Ross-shire, Sutherland, Caithness, Orkney, Shetland, Skye and Raasay.
A separate yellow warning for snow and ice will be in force across the rest of Scotland - except for the Butt of Lewis and Eye peninsula on Lewis - until 10am on Friday instead of midday. Accumulations of snow are also expected to be lower in those areas outside northern Scotland, with totals of two to five centimetres being predicted.
