Let's snow crazy as big freeze continues
Weather warnings stay in place
West Lothian was turned into a winter wonderland this week as snow blanketed the county.
Sub-zero temperatures have gripped the area and are expected to continue into the weekend.
People made the most of the white stuff to get out and have fun.
Amelia Burns and her mum Natalia are pictured sledging at The Steelyard in Bathgate.
West Lothian had been subject to an amber warning at the start of the week and while more snow has been forecast the freezing weather is expected to remain until Sunday.
Wintry weather conditions in West Lothian look set to continue over the weekend.
The sub-zero temperatures will continue for most of the week, with the Met Office predicting it will drop as low as -9°C this morning (Thursday) in Livingston.
No more snow is expected this week but the freezing weather will remain until Sunday, meaning conditions will remain precarious under foot and on the roads.
A Met Office spokesperson explained: “Travel delays on roads are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers.
“Some delays and cancellations to rail and air travel are likely and there is a good chance that some rural communities could become cut off.
“Power cuts are likely and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.”
West Lothian Council say their gritters have been out working hard since Monday night.
Speaking on Tuesday, a West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “West Lothian’s gritter fleet have been out continuously gritting and ploughing the primary carriageways since 5pm last night, and will continue to do so until satisfactory clearance has taken place. All West Lothian schools are open, with school transport running as normal.
“In conditions like this, it is not possible for local authorities to keep the primary carriageways clear of snow at all times.
“Rock salt lowers the freezing point of moisture on the road surface, stopping ice from forming and causing existing ice or snow to melt.
“However, for the salt to work most effectively it requires other vehicles to crush it and spread it across the road. If moderate to heavy snow continues after ploughing/gritting has taken place, then it will still settle on treated surfaces, particularly if traffic volumes are relatively low such as during the night or early morning.
“This is why it may appear that a road has not been treated, even though it has been ploughed and gritted in both directions.
“The combined length of our primary carriageways exceeds 500km, although the actual travelling distance is significantly longer, meaning there are several hours before the same section of road can be reached again.
“Footway and school gritting has been underway since 5am and will continue for the rest of the day.
“Our remaining resources are being used to plough and grit the secondary Level 1 carriageways but it will be difficult to reach residential carriageways whilst action is required on the higherpriority routes. Hand gritting crews have also been deployed from 8am to supplement the footpath gritters and attend to the smaller villages that have no dedicated vehicle.”