It was a white Xmas!
Drivers told ‘watch out for more ice and snow’
FOR turkey-stuffed families, Boxing Day is a time to venture out and burn off those calories.
But yesterday revellers had a valid excuse to stay at home on the sofa.
They awoke to find huge swathes of Scotland covered in snow – giving the country a picture postcard stamp but turning streets and pavements into potential death traps.
Weather experts confirmed that snow began falling late on Monday, which officially made it a White Christmas despite initial reports that December 25 wouldn’t qualify.
Flakes fell on the Lothians and Borders as midnight approached before turning into a blizzard in the central belt.
Last night the mercury was set to plunge to -8C (17F). A yellow ‘be aware’ warning was issued for the West, North and North-East.
Treacherous conditions were set to continue this morning as some commuters prepared to return to work between Christmas and Hogmanay.
As temperatures fell at 10.20pm on Monday, the Met Office tweeted: ‘Hot off the press – Spadeadam in Cumbria has reported light snow.
‘Parts of southern Scotland are also seeing rain turning to snow. This has officially made it a White Christmas for some (just in the nick of time!).’
By the morning, many parts of central and southern Scotland woke to a covering of snow. As the cold front moved south, temperatures dropped under clear skies, freezing the snow hard.
The Met Office warned: ‘Icy patches are expected to develop on untreated surfaces, pavements and cycle paths. Injuries from slips and falls on ice may occur.’
A minor derailment at ScotRail’s Ayr depot before Christmas also continued to disrupt travel yesterday.
Trains to Glasgow were cancelled in Ayrshire and services to Ardrossan Harbour and Stranraer were among those affected. Meanwhile an accident on the A96 restricted traffic both ways north of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.
Road agency Amey said it had doubled its gritting runs due to the weather. The firm tweeted: ‘Some got their wish for a white Christmas. Big shout-out to the guys who have been out all night keeping the roads clear.
‘To remain very cold today and very cold overnight with temperatures of -8C.’
But the country’s only topflight football match, between Dundee and Celtic, went ahead as planned as the east coast escaped the snow.
Matt Roe of the Met Office in Aberdeen said it would stay cold today and tomorrow before ‘warming up slightly towards the weekend’.
‘Injuries from falls may occur’