It’s all white as winter sweeps in
THERE were wintry scenes worthy of a Christmas card when the snow hit Greater Manchester on Friday.
Flurries were seen across the region, with Rochdale, Oldham, Bolton and Bury getting the lion’s share of the white stuff. And while it did cause a few transport issues, there were also plenty of people out and about enjoying the transformation of our streets and parks.
Mabel and Eliza Kershaw – aged five and four – made the most of it, playing and building a miniature snowman.
A Met Office severe weather warning for ice was in place across Greater Manchester until 9am, with further snow warnings in northern parts of the region until later in the day.
Bus services were affected in Bury, Bolton and Rochdale, and traffic was slow around Rochdale, Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne in the morning.
Snake Pass in Glossop and the Cat and Fiddle road in Macclesfield were both closed.
A car ploughed into a fence after skidding at Junction 23 of the M60, where driving conditions were very poor – but luckily no one was hurt.
However it was business as usual at Manchester Airport, where flights were unaffected.
There was a thick layer of snow on Saddleworth Moor as the sun rose, and GMP Saddleworth posted a message on their Facebook page: “A cold and icy start to the morning, please drive accordingly, leave extra space between you and the person in front, and take it steady on side roads which may not have been gritted.
“Please take the time to fully clear your windows, lights and don’t forget you registration plates.
“A few minutes spent doing the basics could save a lot of hassle and inconvenience later.”