Wintry weather by Kirsty McCabe
As I mentioned yesterday, the UK was in for a blast of Arctic air that would bring heavy and frequent snow showers to northern parts.
In fact, around 10 cm (4 inches) of snow fell in parts of central Scotland overnight, making road conditions hazardous on Tuesday morning. Gritters worked through the night but black ice caused a spate of accidents. Drifting snow and icy patches forced the closure of many roads, with Fife and Central Scotland worst affected by the snow.
My colleague Carol Kirkwood braved the elements in the Glenshane Pass in Northern Ireland this morning. The pass, which connects Belfast and Londonderry, saw one of the worst snow falls, as anyone who tuned in to watch Carol on BBC1’s Breakfast can testify. Elsewhere the main road between Armagh and Keady was temporarily closed after a number of vehicles became stuck in the snow.
The UK wasn’t the only place experiencing cold conditions. Temperatures plummeted across eastern parts of the US on Monday as Arctic air continued to push southwards. The town of Embarrass in Minnesota registered a low of -48 C (-54 F), not far off the state’s record low of -51 C (-60 F) set in 1996 in Tower, about 10 miles north of Embarrass.
The cold weather also affected various other places in the US, including Columbia Gorge in Oregon, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Buffalo, New York. Nearly eight inches (12 to 20 cm) of snow had fallen by Monday morning on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Meanwhile in Buffalo, New York, 5 inches (13 centimetres) of snow led to slick roads and white-out conditions on a local highway.
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