Gritters on standby as wintry weather hits East Riding

PARTS of the East Riding could be hit by up to 25cm of snow in the next three days, according to the Met Office.

Up to 10cm of snow is predicted to fall today in isolated areas, followed by up to 10cm tomorrow and up to 5cm on Monday.

Forecaster Alexa Jones said: "Showers will turn increasingly to snow.

"Amounts of snow are likely to be highly variable, with some places seeing very little, particularly at low levels, during the day.

"However, 5cm to 10cm could accumulate locally, particularly above 200m, with icy surfaces an additional hazard."

In Hull, gritters will be out around the clock to tackle icy roads.

Some key footpaths are also being spread with rock salt to protect pedestrians.

Councillor Martin Mancey, Hull portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: "The safety of drivers, pedestrians and residents is a top priority for us.

"When the adverse weather hits over the next couple of days, we have a committed and dedicated team that work 24/7 to ensure the main traffic routes, pedestrian and shopping areas are as clear and as safe as possible."

The East Riding is likely to be hit harder, with snow expected on the Wolds.

Gritters were out last night preparing busy roads to cope with the onslaught.

John Skidmore, head of streetscene services at East Riding Council, said: "The weekend will see a mix of wintry showers and low temperatures with several centimetres of snow forecast on higher ground.

"Forecasts indicate that a further band of snow showers will arrive in the East Riding on Monday and conditions will remain cold.

"The council will continue to treat the precautionary and secondary road networks, as required, and weather conditions will continue to be monitored around the clock."

Council gritters can be equipped with ploughs to tackle heavy drifts.

If the freezing weather takes a hold, work will continue all weekend to keep highways open.

Mr Skidmore said: "Plans have been made for weekend operations in accordance with the winter maintenance plan.

"We urge all residents to stay safe during this spell of severe winter weather and for motorists to drive to the conditions, allow extra time for their journeys and travel on the main treated network."

Bad weather is set to continue tomorrow.

Met Office forecasters are predicting the cold snap to last until Monday at least.

Tomorrow could see ice on the roads, with further freezing on Monday morning.

However, Rachel Vince, a forecaster with private company MeteoGroup, was more optimistic.

She is not expecting snow today or tomorrow but believes there could be flurries on Monday.

Ms Vince said: "What we're keeping our eye on at the moment is good conditions for snow potentially in the afternoon on Monday.

"We're looking at lows of -3C until the beginning of next week."

Some news reports have predicted UK temperatures as low as -13C.

But Ms Vince is not expecting huge drops in East Yorkshire.

She said: "When we do get cold weather like this and some snow on the ground, there's the potential of temperatures getting into the low minuses.

"It's likely to happen somewhere this winter.

"The chances of it happening in the next week are fairly slim, especially in Hull and East Yorkshire."

The freezing weather is being caused by a low pressure system moving southwards across Europe, driving cold air towards the UK.

• Snow warning extended from Saturday to Monday as up to 10cm expected for Hull and East Yorkshire