As-it-happened: Scotland's first winter snow

On the M74 at Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire some drivers have been stuck for more than three hours southbound after a lorry jackknifed in the snow.

Traffic information website Traffic Scotland is keeping travellers up-to-date wth problems on the country's roads. It is advising drivers affected by the Lesmahagow hold-up to leave the M74 southbound at Junction 9 - B7078 and rejoin the M74 southbound at junction 12.

The M74 at Lesmahagow begins moving more freely as a police work to clear a jacknifed lorry.

No problems are reported on the rail network. Keep up-to-date by going to the National Rail Enquiries website.

The A83 Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll and Bute is only open between 08:30 and 16:30 - otherwise the diverison is adding about an hour to journeys.

In the Highlands the whole of the A9 is badly affected by snow and ice - especially at Helmsdale, Dalwhinnie and Badenoch

The A82 between Spean Bridge and Glencoe is passable with care. There is a similar picture on the A82 at Tyndrum.

There are still delays on the southbound M74 near Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire. It was closed from 04:00 until about 07:30 by a jackknifed lorry near Junction 10 Wellburn.

Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary warned motorists to take care due to the effects of snow and ice "on some roads". The police added: "Driving conditions are difficult and already a number of crashes have occurred in the region."

Buses are replacing trains between Whifflet near Coatbridge and Glasgow Central - and also between Motherwell and Cumbernauld.

Stornoway Airport is closed until 09:00 to clear the runway of snow

Central Scotland Police said the snow gates on the A82 at Tyndrum would remain open. Although snow is still falling, the road remains open.

So far, there are no school closures being reported because of the snowy conditions. For more information go to your local council website or look for them on Twitter.

On the M80 Castlecary (J4) to Bankhead (J5) - Snow turning to slush, traffic moving freely.

M876 Bankhead (J5) to Checkbar (J1) - Snow turning to slush, traffic moving freely.

The A862 just outside Dingwall is closed between Mineral Bridge and Ardulie Roundabout

M8 heading into Glasgow - westbound traffic grinds to a halt at Junction 6 Newhouse in North Lanarkshire - long delays westbound to junction 8 Baillieston. There are further delays from junction 11 Stepps Road through to the Glasgow.

There is heavy congestion on the M73 south heading on to the roundabout at Baillieston.

On the M77 south of Glasgow there are 45-minute delays northbound.

"I'm here at Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire where traffic was held up for more than three hours this morning. The situation was hampered by the fact there was a fuel spill associated with the accident. It was some time before the recovery vehicles came down the hard shoulder to clear the problem. There has been no great block of snow and the conditions are nowhere near what they were at this time last year."

Transport Minister Keith Brown says all trunk roads in Scotland have been gritted at least twice and are all open. He says all of Scotland's airports are open except for Wick, were snow clearing is currently taking place. He told BBC Radio Scotland: "There was a great deal of work done overnight on trunk roads throughout the country."

Yesterday Tayside Police dealt with several accidents in the Perth and Kinross area where cars left the road due to icy conditions, while a number of routes in northern Scotland were affected by snow and ice. Northern Constabulary reported a loss of 999 call service in the Rosehall area of Lairg in Sutherland, affecting 176 telephone lines. It was thought to be due to the weather conditions.

North of Perth - the A9 closed both directions at Dunkeld due to an accident.

For the most up-to-date information on the traffic and travel situation go to BBC Scotland's travel twitter feed - @bbctravelscot

Wick Airport is closed due to the snow

The Met Office forecast for Scotland: Today - Sunny spells and wintry showers, most frequent over north and west, with a more prolonged spell of snow likely over Northern Isles in the afternoon. Further accumulations especially over higher areas. Cold with frosty conditions slow to thaw, despite fresh winds. Tonight - Further wintry showers in the north and west, but long clear spells developing in east. Cold with a widespread frost. Becoming very windy in far north with more prolonged snow later. For a more in-depth look go to..... BBC Weather

This is the first significant snow of winter

On the M74 at Junction 7 Larkhall in South Lanarkshire. The northbound onslip is blocked by an accident

In the Scottish Borders it is western and south-western areas which have seen the bulk of any snowfalls. All roads are open but some minor roads and side streets should be driven with care. One school bus service, from Craik, has been cancelled.

Dumfries and Galloway Council reports Tundergarth Primary near Lockerbie is the first of its schools to be shut by the severe weather.

BBC Radio Scotland weather for the Highlands & Islands: A cold afternoon with further snow showers affecting western parts. Met Office warnings remain in place for this snow and ice with travel disruption expected. Further east it will be drier with be some spells of sunshine but feeling cold and raw in brisk northwest winds with highs of 3C or 4C.

BBC Scotland weather for the Northeast: It will remain cold and mostly dry this afternoon with just the odd wintry shower affecting western and northern parts of Moray and Aberdeenshire. Afternoon temperatures will reach about 3C.

BBC Radio Scotland weather for the Southwest: Snow showers will continue this afternoon, especially across Galloway with further accumulations of snow. Met Office warnings remain in place for snow and ice with travel disruption expected.

A fleet of 130 gritters were out overnight to treat roads and 3,000 tonnes of salt were used.

North of Perth the A9 remains closed in both directions between the A827 at Ballinluig and the A923 at Dunkeld.

Junction 7 at Larkhall - which had been closed - is now open.

From the BBC Scotland travel desk - Gridlock throughout Motherwell and Wishaw - and in Airdrie Victoria Place closed due to an accident.. this is causing severe congestion on the main route between Airdrie and Coatbridge - that's Deed Street and Main Street @BBCTravelScot

Four primary schools and one high school affected by snow in Highland Council area. Parents of pupils at Ferintosh and Mulbuie primaries have been asked to pick up children asap, according to the council's website.

Snow on the Southern Distributor Road in Inverness

Roads in Inverness among routes in the Highlands affect by snow and ice.

From BBC Scotland's travel desk. The A9 at Dunkeld is due to open shortly.

"There's been disruption on roads throughout Scotland after the first significant winter snow overnight. Drivers were stuck on the M74 southbound for three hours this morning after the motorway was closed when a lorry jack-knifed. Meanwhile, snow and ice are continuing to cause problems on the A9 in the Highlands, and Perth and Kinross. A fleet of 130 gritters were sent out overnight to treat roads. Wick Airport is shut while Stornoway Airport has been re-opened after it was closed earlier."

Tayside Police say a 27-year-old man has been taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee with pelvic and chest injuries following a three-vehicle collision at about 8am on the southbound A9 Inverness to Perth road, a mile north of Dalguise.

More on the A9 collision.... one of the cars, a Mercedes, caught fire and had to be put out by Tayside Fire and Rescue. Tayside Police said it was almost completely destroyed and its driver, a pregnant woman, was uninjured but was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary as a precaution.

The latest from traffic police.... the A9 at Dunkeld remains shut for the time being.

Inverness has been among places in the Highlands and Islands experiencing fresh snowfalls

Several roads in the Highlands have been badly affected by snow and ice, according to Northern Constabulary. They are the A9 at Helmsdale, A82 north and south of Fort William, A82 between Spean Bridge and Newtonmore, A830 Fort William to Glencoe, A939 Nairn to Grantown, A835 Ullapool to Dingwall and A86 at Laggan. Six Highland Council schools are now being closed. There have also been fresh snowfalls over parts of the Highlands and Islands, including in Inverness.

Snow falls in December and the bookmakers begin cutting their odds on a white Christmas. Paddy Power is giving 7/2 for a white Christmas in Glasgow and 50/1 for the coldest Christmas day in Scotland.

Wick Airport is still closed, but there are hopes it will open in the next hour.

Police confirm that the A9 near Dunkeld is now OPEN.

Read more on the pregnant woman who was involved in a three-car accident on the A9. Pregnant woman escapes car fire

Snow and ice are affecting many roads across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England. Lying snow overnight caused problems on motorways and many roads in the Highlands, Central Scotland and Lanarkshire. Some schools are closed, mainly in the Highlands and in South Lanarkshire. For more on the story..... Snow and ice cause road problems

A gritter on a road between Inverness and Kirkhill

The snow gates have been closed on the Forres to Grantown on Spey stretch of the A939, known as the Dava Road, Northern Constabulary has said. Police were also dealing with a jackknifed lorry on the route. Motorists have been urged to avoid the Carrbridge to Ferness stretch of the A939. Roads in Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh have been badly affected and police said drivers should not use the B885 Portree to Struan road.

Met Office warnings - An alert has been issued for the following regions.

• Grampian (Yellow)
• Strathclyde (Yellow)
• SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Yellow)
• Central, Tayside & Fife (Yellow)
• Highlands & Eilean Siar (Yellow)
• Orkney & Shetland (Yellow)

Further wintry showers will affect Northern Western and Central Scotland this afternoon and this evening. Icy stretches are likely to form on untreated surfaces by evening. The Met Office says that the public should be aware that this could lead to travel disruption in places.

Air Ambulance responds to an emergency call in Blanefield, Stirling

The Air Ambulance was deployed in Blanefield during heavy snow showers at 10:30.

For the latest on traffic and travel tune in to BBC Radio Scotland on 92-95 FM and 810 MW. The next bulletin is on at about 12:08.

Just to remind you... South Lanarkshire Council said 16 schools and nurseries were closed due to the snow.

They are Abington Primary, Auchengray Primary, Bent Primary, Carstairs Junction Primary, Crawford Primary, Crawfordjohn Primary, Kirkfieldbank Primary, Leadhills Primary, Libberton Primary, Quarter Primary, Ridgepark School, Rigside and Rural Communities Nursery, Stonehouse Primary, Underbank Primary, Walston Primary, Wiston Primary.

Law Primary was closed only to the nursery class.

With the freezing temperatures set to continue over the next few days Scottish Water has urged customers to take precautions to protect their pipes and insulate their homes. You can access the Scottish Water Winter Code, and view films with advice on the kind of measures to put in place on its website.

Dumfries and Galloway Council confirms a second school closure in the region due to bad weather - Hottsbridge Primary joins Tundergarth Primary.

Scotland's ski centres have said they DON'T have enough snow to justify opening. Nevis Range has reported snow to depths of 10cm and hoped to open soon. Cairngorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee and Lecht Ski Centre all reported a "dusting" of snow but said it was not enough for winter snow sports yet. A spokesman for Glenshee said: "We have had very little snow, just a dusting and not enough to do anything with. We will just keep waiting. It's all we can do."

Northern Constabulary report the snow gates on the Forres to Grantown on Spey stretch of the A939 are open again.

North Lanarkshire Council said all of its schools were open but it warned that travel may be difficult.

"This kind of cold snap in December is not unusual. I think for many people this morning ice has been a bigger problem than snow. This was well forecast and has not come unexpectedly."

Grampian Police advising of icy conditions on the A96 between Keith and Inverurie, near the Glens of Foundland. Motorists should exercise caution when travelling in the area.

From the BBC Scotland Travel desk - Road conditions are beginning to improve slightly, however, several roads are still affected by snow and ice.

What do the Met Office weather warning symbols mean? Experts explain how yellow, amber and red codes are assigned.

Transport Minister Keith Brown calls on drivers to take extra care on the roads. From the Traffic Scotland Control Centre, he said: "After a treacherous morning for many commuters across Scotland the weather is generally improving. That said conditions this evening and tomorrow morning are again likely to prove difficult due to more snow, wintery showers and freezing conditions, so staying alert and allowing extra time for journeys are absolutely key in order to help keep Scotland moving."

"Snow and ice continue to cause problems on Scotland's roads, but most are open. In the Highlands, take care on the A9 Drumochter Pass in Dalwhinnie and on the A82 between Glencoe and Spean Bridge. In Moray, police say extra care is needed on the A940 between Forres and Dava because of snow. In Aberdeenshire, conditions are hazardous on the A93 between Aboyne and Banchory, on the A96 between Huntly and Keith and on the A98 in Fraserburgh. The A83 Rest and be Thankful, is now open, but will close again at about 16:00."

The first heavy snow of the winter has hit many parts of Scotland. Problems the country has been facing include;

• The closure for three hours of the M74 at Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire after a lorry jackknifed in the snow
• The closure for two hours of the A9 at Dunkeld
• Congestion following the blockage of the northbound onslip at M74 at Junction 7 Larkhall in South Lanarkshire after an accident
• Closure of a handful of schools in South Lanarkshire and the Highlands
• And the temporary closure of snow gates on the Forres to Grantown on Spey stretch of the A939

"In Glasgow, the M73 remains closed southbound at J2 Baillieston following an accident. In Ayrshire, the A77 is closed between Maybole and Turnberry following an accident."

Stay up-to-date with travel and traffic information throughout Scotland by listening to BBC Radio Scotland's bulletins. Tune in on 92-95 FM and 810 MW.

Well, that's it for BBC Scotland's Live Page coverage of the country's first heavy snow fall. For further information and updates stay with the BBC on TV, radio and online.