A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said problems developed on the Blakey Ridge road, between Castleton and Hutton-Le-Hole, from about 2.20pm on Saturday.

One of the women who called was six months pregnant and another had a three-year-old child with her.

Two police officers from Pickering - Pc Andrew Marsden and Pc Steve Leach - managed to get to the stranded cars using a four-wheel drive vehicle with Pc Leach getting out to lead his colleague through the drifting snow.

The officers managed to lead several people to safety at the remote Lion Inn pub, which sits at 1,325ft on the top of the moorland road.

A third officer, Traffic Constable Tony Call, also made it to the scene and stayed with a group of six 4x4 vehicles and their occupants who had become stranded about three-quarters-of-a-mile from the pub.

The spokesman said the conditions at the time were "extremely severe" and "potentially life-threatening".

He said the officers, who were helped by Highways Department staff from the county council and local farmers, were later thanked by some of the motorists affected.

Lion Inn landlord Barry Crossland said the pregnant woman was one of 25 people who stayed the night until the conditions eased slightly the next day.

He said around 50 people were stuck in the pub on Saturday afternoon but police, gritters and farmers managed to get some out in a convoy.

Mr Crossland said: "It just came suddenly when the wind picked up. It was a total whiteout.

"I went out to get something from my car it was incredible. I couldn't see the bonnet. Walking back, I could hardly breathe."

The publican said some of those who were evacuated on the Saturday had babies with them and they were very concerned about running out of baby feed.

North Yorkshire Police said that from midnight on January 1 there were nine "serious" road collisions and nine "minor" collisions reported in the force area. But there were also 99 collisions in which vehicles were damaged but no-one was injured and 78 incidents of highway disruption reported, the spokesman said.