Better late than never.. it’s snowing

ICY weather hit the North East yesterday as the region was transformed into a winter wonderland.

Snowfall started across lower areas in the region at around 9am and lasted several hours.

As a result Newcastle Airport saw minor delays, while there were temporary road closures in Northumberland, and delays on the East Coast Main Line.

One British Airways flight to Newcastle from London Heathrow was cancelled but airport staff worked throughout the morning to keep the runway clear of snow.

The Metro wasn’t impacted by the weather in contrast to the disruption that last time snow fell in the North East. Police were dispatched to Felton, in Northumberland, where vehicles had begun to get stuck seeking a diversion from the congested A1 southbound, while the A68 at West Woodburn was closed until shortly after 2pm due to snow. The AA said it had received 13,284 calls by Friday at 6pm to its breakdown hotline, mostly from people in the north of England, particularly around Cumbria, south of Manchester and the Peak District, who were struggling with the snow or ice.

It dealt with 16,000 calls on Thursday and 19,000 on Wednesday making it “an incredibly busy three days,” AA president Edmund King said.

But for those not on the roads, the day was for building snowmen and sledging as the region’s white Christmas arrived...just a little bit too late.

Snow stopped falling in most of the region early yesterday afternoon. However, the Met Office has issued a further weather warning for ice across the North East until 12pm today, meaning while fresh snow is unlikely the snow that has fallen can be expected to remain into late on into the day.