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VIDEO: After the struggle to work... another cold snap on the way
THE Army was mobilised to help stricken drivers as heavy snow brought traffic chaos, cut power from thousands of homes and caused hundreds of schools to close across Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland today.
Live traffic info and traffic cams
As much as 20cm fell and up to 15,000 homes in the North East and Yorkshire lost power, with 9,000 still without electricity as the day drew on, according to utility firm CE Electric.
Its head of customer services David Gill said: "All available field staff are working to respond to power disruptions and they won't down tools until the job is done."
More snow is expected on Friday, although the showers are forecast to be lighter.
Between Blackburn and Helmshore, Lancashire, the snow trapped 70 people in their vehicles. They were then helped by soldiers from the B Company 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment in two 4x4 vehicles, as well as police and local authority staff.
Drivers were being warned of hazardous driving conditions on the M62 at Rishworth Moor in West Yorkshire. Heavy snowfall caused problems on the Woodhead and Snake Pass transpennine routes.
Snow was also falling in parts of South, North and East Yorkshire. A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said "there are accidents all over the place" as the icy conditions caused vehicles to skid off the road.
She said: "There isn't an area that has not been affected. Cars are skidding off the road and blocking them."
Even low-lying communities in York have seen several inches of snow while routes across the Pennines and North York Moors have seen blizzard conditions and deeper snow.
In the Pennines, the A669 is closed both ways Chew Valley Road, Oldham and A6024, Woodhead Road, West Yorkshire.
Pool Bank and Old Pool Bank in north Leeeds were also closed this morning and there were long delays on the A65 from Ilkley into Leeds, with blockages at Guiseley and Yeadon.
Council chiefs said 30 gritters had covered the primary road network, which includes all the main routes within Leeds.
In North Yorkshire, the Settle by-pass was closed in both directions, and the A1(M) was reported closed northbound between Junction 56, the B6275 Hang Beck, and Junction 57, the A66(M), because of a jackknifed lorry. Traffic was queueing on the A64 near York.
Blockages were also reported at Catterick and Richmond.
Between 6am-10am 28 crashes were reported across Hambleton, Ryedale, Selby, Scarborough, Harrogate, Richmond and York.
One driver leaped clear from a fireball crash when his Peugeot 306 estate car left the B2685 and burst into flames after hitting a tree two miles out of Bedale.
Police said the male driver was able to get out and dial 999 for the fire service after apparently escaping injury.
A lorry driver also escaped unhurt when his vehicle jack-knifed on the A19 just before Thormanby village, blocking the road and causing two mile tailbacks stretching back to Carlton Husthwaite.
A car crashed into a ditch on the back road between Sand Hutton and Stamford Bridge near York. The female driver had a lucky escape and a tractor pulled the car free from the ditch just after 9am.
On the A169 near RAF Fylingdales, an ambulance was reported to have overturned in the snow. Nobody was injured and it is not believed the ambulance was on an emergency call or was carrying an patients. In New Earswick - bus slid into garden wall but no one was hurt.
North Yorkshire Police said road conditions across the county had improved during Thursday, although motorists were still warned to take care.
The main arterial routes throughout the county are now clear but minor roads continue to pose a problem to drivers.
On the M62 in East Yorkshire, two lanes were closed eastbound between Junction 37 at Howden and Junction 38 at North Cave, with speed restriction of 50 mph.
In South Yorkshire, the A57 Snake Pass was closed both ways at the A6101, Rivelin Valley Road.
More than 200 schools have been closed. Schools in West Yorkshire have been worst hit but others in South Yorkshire have also been closed or opened late, and around 30 are shut in North Yorkshire. Next page: List of school closures
Passengers at Leeds Bradford Airport faced delays as heavy snow fell on the runway.
Most trains were running with minor or no delays. But buses throughout Yorkshire were badly hit, and at one point the West Yorkshire Metro website crashed under the strain of enquiries.
Buses between Harrogate and Leeds were cancelled, and delays were reported in Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Chickenley, Dewsbury, Keighley, Cookridge, Menston, Brackenwood, Mixenden, Illingworth and Pool Bank.
The following school buses have been suspended:
Buses to all Bradford schools.
All school buses operated by Transdev Keighley & District Travel.
All school buses in Leeds.
All school buses operated by Geldards Coaches.
All school bus services run by Rollinsons including the South Craven and Steeton yellow buses.
Yellow bus service M22 to North Halifax Grammar
Durham Police said the A66 transpennine road was closed westbound to motorists from North Yorkshire to Cumbria because of heavy snow.
A police spokesman said: "The road conditions have deteriorated and the road closure on the westbound carriageway has been initiated.
"The closure is from Scotch Corner to the Cumbrian border."
Around a dozen schools were closed in rural parts of Northumberland because of the weather.
MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said rain pushed the snow clouds away as the day progressed, but they were expected to return tomorrow.
Forecaster Tom Tobler said: "It does look like snow and sleet come back, but nothing like as heavy as today.
"It was very cold as the weather front came across and generated all this precipitation, which fell as snow."
The snow and sleet tomorrow should be confined to the higher ground in Northern England and Scotland.
Wales and the South West will become windy with showers easing off later, while it will be mostly dry elsewhere.
Over the next week or so, temperatures are forecast to be about average for December (4-7C in the daytime) with some unsettled showery weather before a drier weekend.
Share your travel stories with us. Email yponline@ypn.co.uk or text "ypnews" (space), plus your contact details and comments, to 81800School closures in West Yorkshire:
Leeds
All Saints Primary, Richmond Hill
Allerton C of E, Allwoodley
Allerton High School
Birchfield Primary, Gildersome
Bramham Primary School, near Boston Spa
Brown Hill St Savour Junior Birstall
Brutncliffe in Morley and also cancelled is Celebration Bruntcliffe
Burley Oaks, Burley in Wharfdale
Calverley C of E school, Calverley
Cardinal Heenan
Carlton Primary, Rothwell
Carr Manor Primary School
Chilwell Primary, Morley. Open but with a limited number of staff
Cockburn College of Art
Colton Primary School
Drighlington Primary, in Drighlington
Earlsheaton Technology College, Dewsbury
Elmet SILC, 2 sites, 1 in Roundhay and 1 in Meanwood
Fountain Primary, Morley
Gildersome Primary school
Greenside Primary School, Pudsey
Haigh Road Infant, Rothwell
Harehills Primary
Horsforth Primary
Horsforth New Laithes Junior
Howarth Primary school
Iveson Primary
Kerr Mackie Primary
Low Road Primary, Hunslet
Manston Primary Cross Gates
Moor Allerton Hall Primary
New Laithes Juniors, Horsforth
Our Lady's Catholic Primary, Seacroft
Park Lane College featherbank centre art craft and design
Prince Henry Grammar school
Primose High School, Leeds - years 10,11, post 16 and staff to come into school
Rawdon St Peters
Richmond House primary, far Headingley
Rufford Park Primary in Yeadon.
Quarry Mount Primary School
St Cuthberts and the first Martyrs
St Edwards Catholic Primary, Boston Spa
St Mary's Middleton
St. Mary's Church of England Primary in Boston Spa
St Oswalds Juniors, Guiseley
St Peters C of E, Burmantofts
St Theresas Catholic Primary
Talbot Primary School
Temple Moor High School
Thorpe Primary, Thorpe.
Westgate Primary School, Otley
West Royd Infants, Farsley
Whitecoate Primary
Woodlands Primary School
Kirklees
Batley Business & Enterprise College
Batley Girls' High School - Visual Arts College
Birkdale High School
Birkenshaw CE (C) First & Nursery School
Birkenshaw Middle School - May reopen this afternoon
Brownhill Infant School
Brownhill St Saviour's CE(VA) Junior School
Carlinghow Princess Royal J I & N School
Chickenley Community J I & N School
Colne Valley High - A Specialist Arts College
Earlsheaton Technology College
East Bierley CE(VC) First School
Fairfield School
Gomersal First School
Gomersal Middle School
Headlands CE (C) J I & N School
Healey J I & N School
Honley High School
Knowles Hill I & N School
Leeside Community Primary School
Norristhorpe J & I School
Nortonthorpe Hall School
Park Road J I & N School
Ravensthorpe I & N School
Rawthorpe High School
Shaw Cross I & N School - Reception Class Closed
St John Fisher Catholic High School
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Upper Whitley J & I School
Westborough High School
West End Middle School
Whitcliffe Mount - Specialist Business and
Enterprise College
Humber:
Kings Mill Special School, Driffield
The Market Weighton School
Wold Newton Primary School
Warter Primary School - only closed MORNING Sledmere Primary Driffield Secondary Middleton on the Wolds Bishop Wilton Primary Brandesburton Primary - closed to FOUNDATION pupils only
Calderdale:
Heptonstall Primary, Hebden Bridge
Brighouse High School
Shelf junior and infants
Old Town Primary, Hebden Bridge
Hebden Royd Primary, Hebden Bridge
Deanfield Primary, Ovenden
Halifax High, Wellesley Park, Halifax
Hipperholme Grammar, Halifax
Lightcliffe Prep, Halifax
Special schools: Wood Bank, Ravenscliffe High, Highbury
Stubbings Infants School, Hebden Bridge
Calder High school, Mytholmroyd
The Maltings Independent School, Halifax
Fountain Head Day Nursery, Halifax
Bradford:
Aire View Infants, Silsden
Wyke Manor Secondary, Bradford
High Crags Primary, Shipley
Bolling Special School
Braithwaite School
Branshaw School
Burley Oaks, Burley in Wharfedale
Chapel Grange Special School
Greenfields Special School
Haycliffe Special School
Heaton Royds Special School
Lister Lane School
Netherlands Avenue School and Community Nursery
Thorn Park School for Deaf Children
Wedgewood School and Community Nursery
Nessfield Primary School, Keighley
Park Primary PRU
The Secondary PRU on Ellarcarr Road, Thackley
Oxenhope C Of E
Park Side School, Cullingworth Bradford
Exley Head Pre-School, Keighley
Holy Croft Primary in Keighley
St Clare's, Bradford
Hoyle Court, Baildon
Yorkshire Martyrs, Bradford
Chapel Grange Special School Bradford - closed for children AND staff
East morton C of E Primary School Bradford
Midland Road Nursery School and Childrens Centre, Bradford
Harden Primary, Bingley
St Williams Catholic Primary, Bradford
Parkside Kellingworth
Ryecroft Primary School, Bradford
St Walburgas Catholic Primary, Shipley, Bradford
Buttershaw Primary, Bradford
Hoyle Court, Baildon, Bradford
St Josephs Primary, Keighley
Greenhead Primary, Keighley
St John's Primary, Bierley
Our Lady of Victories, Keighley
Carlton Bolling College
Stocks Lane Primary
Lady Lane Park Primary
Harden Primary School, Bingley
La Page Primary
Wellington Primary
Farnham Primary
Great Horton Grange Primary
Bradford Academy
Blake Hill Primary
Westminster C/E Primary
Wilsden Primary
New Hall Park Primary
Bankfoot Primary
Cullingworth Primary
St Joseph's Keighley
Heaton St Barnabas Primary
Ingrow Primary, Keighley
Menston Primary
Keighley St Andrews Primary
Cottingley Village Primary
Cross Flatts Bingley
Tong High School
Thackley Primary School
Woodside Primary School and Childrens centre
Wellington Primary School
Stanbury Village School, Stanbury
Denholme Primary
Myrtle Park School Binlgey
Whetley Primary School
Brackenhill Primary, Great Horton
Lowerfields Primary School
St Annes Primary, Keighley
Miriam Lord Community Primary School
Carlton Bolling College, Bradford
East Wood Primary, Keighley
Queensbury Secondary, Bradford
Knowleswood Primary, Bradford
Lady Lane Park Primary, Bingley
Burley and Woodhead C of E Primary in Burley in Wharfedale, Bradford
Trinity All Saints Primary, Bingley
All Saints C of E Primary, Ilkley, PARTIAL CLOSURE, skeleton staff (please note, All Saints Primary in Bradford remains open)
Glen Aire Primary, Bradford
Laycock Primary, Keighley
Holy Family, Keighley
St Anthony's School, Clayton, Bradford
Home Farm Primary, Bradford
South Mere Primary, Great Horton, Bradford
Peel Park School, Bradford
St Mary's, Menston
Margaret MacMillan Primary, Bradford
Grange Technical College, Bradford
Hanson School, Bradford
Grange Technical College, Bradford
St Anthony's, Shipley
Nab Wood School, Bradford
Hanson School, Bradford
St Anne's Primary, Keighley
Lees Primary, Crossroads Keighley
Russell Hall Primary
Fox Hill Primary
Shibden Head Primary
St Matthews Catholic Primary,
Bradford Ley Top Primary
Parkwood Primary School, Keighley
Oakbank School, Keighley
Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise School
Frizinghall Primary
Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College
Titus Salt School
Long Lee Primary, Keighley
Guardhouse Primary, Keighley
Heaton Primary
Challenge College
Sandy Lane Primary
South Craven Cross Hills in Keighley
Bingley Grammar
Sandy Lane Primary
Bradford College
Belle Vue Girls School
Thornton Grammar
Rhodeseway School
Princeville Primary
Keelham Primary, Denholme Gate
Netherleigh and Rosse Field School
Holybrook Primary
Parkland Primary
Strong Close Nursery and Children's Centre in Keighley
Copthorne Primary, Bradford
Beckfoot School, Bingley
Whycliffe C of E in Shipley
Heaton Royds School, Bradford
Ilkley Grammar School
Wakefield:
Stanley St Peter's,
Hemsworth West End Primary (foundation stage only)
Streethouse Primary.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
