Looks lovely... but snow and ice bring chaos
SNOW and ice brought chaos to the roads in parts of the Westcountry yesterday, as 2020 ended with a major freeze.
One person was taken to hospital after multiple crashes in treacherous conditions on the A38 in Cornwall and there were three crashes near Dobwalls.
Snow fell in Devon and Cornwall – forcing the A30 to close between Bodmin and Launceston with police at one time warning drivers against travelling in or out of Cornwall and several lorries struggling on hills in the snow and ice.
Fire crews from Looe, Bodmin and Polruan attended a crash in the Connon Bridge area of South East Cornwall.
Police took to social media to urge drivers: “Please slow down, drive according to the conditions, use headlights when appropriate and give yourself plenty of reaction time.”
In Devon, the B3212 between Yelverton and Princetown was closed for a time due to the dangerous conditions, while the A388 at Holsworthy was also blocked in both directions after a vehicle overturned in an incident.
Dartmoor was among the worst affected areas for snow and ice and the Exeter-based Met Office had a yellow weather warning in place.
Tavistock police tweeted: “It’s icy on the roads today, especially between Princetown and Yelverton. Please stay away from the area and don’t be tempted to take the risk. Local units are dealing with other RTCs at the moment due to the weather conditions.”
Neverthless some locals did take advantage of the conditions to go sledging on the high moors while some visitors attempting to reach higher ground got into difficulties.
Police reported drivers getting stuck in snow as traffic ground to a halt across parts of Dartmoor. They warned: “Members of the public take our advice and DO NOT come up to the moors to see the snow – motorists are now getting stuck and traffic ground to a halt. If you can’t get through the road nor can we or any emergency service.”
Conditions improved as the day wore on. Forecasters predicted a dry and frosty start to the New Year in the South West and a largely dry weekend with sunny spells. Cloud and showers are more likely on Monday and it will remain cold.
Elsewhere in Britain conditions were described as bitterly cold with a low of minus 7.5C (18.5F) recorded in Topcliffe, near Thirsk in North Yorkshire.
Many areas in the North West of England woke up to thick mist and a blanketing of snow after temperatures plunged to well below zero.