3-day forcast
breaking out before dawn yesterday, with the M8 becoming the first major casualty at 6.03am. Traffic Scotland used social media to warn drivers that the country’s busiest motorway was partially blocked east-bound at Junction 30, near the Erskine Bridge in Renfrewshire.
Just over 30 minites later, it was reporting “multiple vehicles” stuck on the motorway’s east-bound off slip at Junction 16 in Glasgow city centre “due to difficult driving conditions”.
At 7.32am, the M8’s exit slip road east-bound at Eurocentral in Lanarkshire became jammed, again by “multiple vehicles”.
A mandatory 30mph speed limit was imposed on the full length of the
M8. With more drivers on the roads, heading for work or taking children to school, further hold-ups were experienced on the M74, M77, M80 and M9.
Roads became littered with broken-down or damaged cars involved in collisions.
Police in East Dunbartonshire tweeted: “Stay at home if you can and travel later, once the roads are a bit clearer.”
Later, the A76 was closed in both directions at Mauchline in Ayrshire due to a number of incidents.
Bad weather closed a number of schools in Highland region, including Grantown Grammar and Kingussie High School. In Lanarkshire, almost 50 primary schools delayed opening until 10am and the Woodhill Early Learning and Childcare Centre in Kirkmuirhill did not open until noon.
The Met Office said the volume of snow which fell was not excessive, with just 2cm recorded at Glasgow Bishopton between 7am and 10am.
However, it’s thought that overnight flurries froze as skies cleared, before more snowfall fell on top.
Despite claims from drivers, councils said their gritters had been treating roads during the night.
A spokesman for East Renfrewshire Council said yesterday: “As we have reported on social media, our gritters have been out overnight and again this morning.”
Heavy rain with snow on high ground. Max 9C (48F); Min -3C (26F)
Showers in west but drier elsewhere, with sunny spells. Max 9C (48F); Min -3C (26F)
Clear spells. Scattered showers and strong winds. Max 11C (52F); Min 1C (33F)