Hundreds of schools have been forced to close, homes left without power and roads and flights disrupted after snow fell across large swathes of the UK.
About 100 schools in northern Scotland, 57 in Wales and 41 in Yorkshire have had no choice but to shut their doors today.
Drivers in North Yorkshire were forced to abandon their cars and walk on foot after heavy snow, with more wintry weather on the way today.
They have also been warned to only make journeys that are necessary after heavy snow overnight hit roads and disrupted bin collections.
Parts of north-east England, where an amber warning for snow has come into force, could see blizzard conditions, the Met Office said.
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Sleet and snow showers continued to hit UK coasts overnight into Thursday with the worst-affected areas set to face disruption to travel and potential power cuts, according to the forecaster.
‘Thundersnow’, thunderstorms that form in wintry conditions and cause heavy downpours of snow, were seen in Aberdeenshire and off the coast in the north-east yesterday.
A spokesperson has said there is a risk ‘we could see more today off the coast of eastern Scotland and north-east England.’
As much as 25cm of snow could settle on high ground on the North York Moors and the surrounding area. The region’s amber warning remains in place until 9pm this evening.
Eight yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place in various other parts of the UK today, including Northern Scotland, South West Wales and Cornwall.
The snow grounded some flights at Aberdeen Airport this morning too, affecting routes to Amsterdam and Manchester as well as delaying arrivals from Kirkwall, Sumburgh and Manchester.
Photos of motorists facing long queues near the Moors on the A171 Birk Brow, and some left stranded in sub-zero temperatures, went viral on social media yesterday.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: ‘Thursday will be a sunny day for most, but there will be further sleet and snow showers for coastal stretches, which will filter a little inland too. Heavy across north-east England in particular.
‘The highest snowfall totals from Wednesday night through Thursday will likely be across the Sperrins, North Yorkshire Moors, Northwest Highlands, Grampians and upland Pembrokeshire.’
So far, 9cm of snow was recorded in the Scottish Highlands, Aberdeenshire had 6cm and Aviemore in Invernesshire had 5cm, said the Met Office.
The national weather service said rural communities could become cut off in the amber warning area as gusty winds hit, creating ‘occasional blizzard conditions’, with the possibility of lightning a further hazard.
Shaun Jones, AA Expert Patrol, warned that when snow and ice hit, the roads can quickly become treacherous.
‘Stopping distances can increase tenfold on icy surfaces, so slowing down and leaving plenty of space is absolutely vital,’ he said.
On health concerns from the temperature dropping, Boots Superintendent Pharmacist Claire Nevinson said: ‘Cold weather can affect the body’s ability to fight off viruses and infections.’
She said older people and ‘those with existing health conditions’ are more at risk, so people should take steps to stay warm such as using ‘a heated blanket’, ‘layering up’ before going outside and wearing ‘hand warmers’.
Wintry showers will hit East Anglia, western Wales and Cornwall overnight, but persisting snow in the North East could cause ‘substantial disruption’, the Met Office said.
Some five yellow warnings for snow and ice are in place across the country on Thursday, with alerts for the coast of north-east England, Cornwall, Devon and western Wales in place until 11.59 pm.
National Rail has urged rail commuters to check their journeys before travelling during the snowy and icy weather.
It said speed restrictions may be in place for trains to run safely, which could result in cancellations, alterations and delays to services.
Cold Arctic air continues to take hold across the country, with the mercury overnight dropping to as low as -6C at Spadeadam in Cumbria.
RAF Benson in Oxfordshire recorded -6.6C with Sennybridge in Powys not much warmer at -6.4C.
But the coldest temperatures could still be ahead, the Met Office warned, with potential for lows of -12C in areas of lying snow in Scotland on Friday.
Temperatures will begin to rise closer to averages for this time of year at the weekend when wetter and windier weather arrives, but it will not be as ‘exceptionally mild’ as it was earlier in November, the forecaster said.
Around 100 schools in northern Scotland are closed as snow and ice bring further disruption across the area.
More than 90 schools are shut in Aberdeenshire, while two are shut in Moray. In the Highlands, seven are closed, while many have delayed opening times due to the weather.
In the highlands, eight nurseries, 13 primary schools and one secondary school are closed or partially closed.
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