SO MUCH FOR SPRING!
Heavy snow closes roads and gives pupils day off
SCOTLAND will continue to be gripped by wintry conditions over the next fortnight.
But forecasters predict that the second half of April will see temperatures rise to above average for the time of year.
The country is in the grip of a cold snap, with heavy snow falling yesterday in many areas. Drivers in the Highlands faced long tailbacks and snow gates closed in places.
Three days after the official start of British Summer Time, more than a foot of snow fell in the Cairngorms, giving hundreds of pupils a day off school.
However, the miserable weather will eventually give way to warmer conditions as the Met Office is predicting above-average temperatures for the second half of this month.
But for now the big chill continues, with the mercury predicted to drop to -5C (23F) last night, followed by a widespread frost this morning.
Met Office forecaster Richard Miles said: ‘The snow on Wednesday was produced by a mixture of rain from the East meeting polar maritime air from the North.
‘There’s more to come on Thursday, with the continued prospect of snow on the higher ground in Scotland.’
Drivers faced whiteout conditions on the A9 in the Highlands, due to heavy snow at Slochd. Around six inches fell yesterday morning, causing long tailbacks on the main route to Inverness from the Central Belt.
Further north, the A9 was closed in both directions at Golspie, in Sutherland, after a large tree was brought down by the wind.
In addition, snow gates were closed on the A93 at Braemar and Spittal of Glenshee in Aberdeenshire.
Heavy snow also caused tailbacks on the M74 at Junction 14, Elvanfoot following an accident.
In Perthshire, the A85 was closed near Crieff after a fallen tree blocked both carriageways. Bear Scotland workers were sent out to clear the obstruction.
A lorry shed its load on the slip road to the Erskine Bridge in Dunbartonshire and high winds saw double decker buses banned from the Tay Bridge at Dundee.
Passengers on the morning City Link bus service between Inverness and Edinburgh were warned of an 80-minute delay due to bad weather.
In Livingston, commuters were
caught out by the snow, and Kingussie High School and the school at Strathdearn in the Highlands were both shut, giving 467 pupils the day off.
High winds forced CalMac to call off services for the day on a number of routes.
But the Met Office said the weather should improve as the month goes on. Mr Miles added: ‘Our long-range forecast for the second half of April predicts temperatures above average for the time of year.
‘This is especially true for the North and North-west of the UK.’
The cold snap comes as Met Office figures show the UK experienced its fifth wettest March on record this year with an average 132.9mm (5.2inches)of rain.
The all-time record for March is 150.3mm (5.9inches), which was set in 1981. By March 18 enough rain had fallen to make it the wettest March on record in Northern Ireland. By contrast, Scotland recorded its fifth wettest March, Wales its seventh and England its 16th.
Storm Freya and Storm Gareth hit the UK last month, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and snow to many parts of the country.
Figures also show the average mean temperature across the UK was 6.8C – the 10th warmest March on record.
There was an average 115.6 hours of sunshine, which was some way below the record of 169.5 hours set in 1929, but slightly above usual for the time of year.
Met Office temperature and rainfall data goes back to 1910, while sunshine data begins in 1929.