Video: How one South Yorkshire village battled through the great snow of 2010

More than 500 schools were closed, both the Snake and the Woodhead Trans-Pennine routes were shut and Sheffield Council called off a full council meeting for the first time in its history after six inches of snow fell on the highest parts of the region on Tuesday night.

Motorways were crippled in the freezing conditions, with traffic on the M1, A1(M) and M18 all affected for the entire day, while conditions on arterial routes and side roads were virtually impassable.

People travelling both north and south on the M1 between Chesterfield and Barnsley found only one or two lanes open during the worst of the snowfall, and several lorries jack-knifed on major routes.

Some motorists spent an unexpected night at Woodall service on the M1 south of Sheffield after becoming stranded on the motorway and other drivers were stuck in their cars all night.

Lorries came to a standstill on the A57 between Worksop and Sheffield, and the freezing conditions caused an underpass beneath the road at Lindrick Golf Club, near Worksop, to collapse, causing huge jams.

Some car drivers who got caught up in the chaos on the route were said to have been left in their vehicles for up to 18 hours with no sign of rescue.

A council gritter did attempt to make its way onto the A57 near Beighton, Sheffield, but slid off the road itself, meaning a local farmer was left to tow people out of the deep snow drifts at a price of 20 each.

In Doncaster, the council was forced to make a plea to parents after children built huge snow walls across the unusually quiet main roads. A spokesman said: "We have had three occasions where children have built snow walls across roads. We urge parents and children across the borough to be safe when playing in the snow. This could have very serious consequences if a car was to hit one, particularly in the dark."

Buses operated by both Stagecoach and First South Yorkshire were cancelled in Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham, and trains from Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield stations were suspended.

A limited service was running on Sheffield Supertram, but one of the three routes was suspended completely, while trams were limited to a 20-minute frequency because of frozen tracks.

Supertram general manager Glenn Stocks said: "Our staff worked tirelessly to keep tram services running for passengers but, along with all transport in Sheffield, we are facing very difficult conditions."

But while there was misery for commuters, yesterday's snowy weather was welcomed by thousands of schoolchildren as schools and both of Sheffield's universities were closed yesterday.

Jill Hallsworth, the headteacher of Hunter's Bar Junior School in Sheffield - one of only a handful of schools to open - commended staff and parents.

She said: "Everybody's gone to a lot of effort to get the children here and about a third of them have made it to school, which is about 100 pupils. Most of our staff are also in and we're getting on with the school day pretty much as normal. People have travelled long distances across the city to get here, "

Faced with treacherous conditions, South Yorkshire Fire And Rescue said it would only be responding to incidents which "threaten life or property" and urged people only to dial 999 in a genuine emergency.

Hospitals were also affected by the weather, with Barnsley Hospital closing its outpatients department both yesterday and today. All non-urgent appointments and operations were also cancelled at Sheffield's Northern General and Royal Hallamshire hospitals.

South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue both urged drivers to stay off the roads while the snow continues. A spokesman said: "Abandoned cars will make the clearance of roads even more difficult, so the advice is not to attempt to drive anywhere unless absolutely necessary."

Jeni Harvey and Martin Slack

Only the Brave: Few pedestrians were willing to set out on Abbeydale Road South, Millhouses, Sheffield, during the rush hour, with hardly a bus or vehicle in sight during yesterday's heavy snowfall.Picture: Chris Lawton.

white-out: Heavy snowfall and the freezing conditions left the Market Green at Cottingham, near Hull, deserted and footprint-free yesterday morning except for one determined and hardy shopper. Picture: Terry Carrott

Gridlocked: Traffic reduced to crawling nose to tail as blizzard conditions strike commuters on Manchester Road, Bradford. Police have appealed to drivers to stay off the roads if possible. Picture: Asadour Guzelian.

first-class effort: Postwoman Sue Horton struggles through the blizzard conditions and treacherous roads in the North Yorkshire market town of Easingwold to ensure her deliveries get through.PICTURE: GERARD BINKS.