Friday's live snow and ice report (From Evesham Journal)

7:01pm

That's all for today.

Thanks for following. Drive carefully tonight.

6:01pm

Updates for services due to severe weather

Youth Orchestra rehearal rescheduled

Due to predicted bad weather, tonight's Youth Orchestra rehearsal has been rescheduled for Friday 15thFebruary. All Saturday rehearsals will take place as usual.

Young Poet Laureate competition postponed

Due to the forecast of heavy snow this evening, we have postponed tonight's final of Worcestershire Young Poet Laureate competition due to be held at Pershore No. 8.

Fourteen of the fifteen finalists live in the north of the county and we are aware of concerns from parents and teachers about the weather forecast for tonight.

Apologies for any inconvenience. We will be re-arranging the event in the spring.

Worcestershire Hub

Update on Gritting

The latest forecasts show we expect more snow in Worcestershire this afternoon. 

It is expected to start with light flurries but become heavier from around 3pm.

It is thought to be a mix of sleet and snow, with snow more likely across higher routes.

The council's fleet of gritters have already been out from 10am this morning on the county's secondary routes and will react throughout the afternoon as conditions develop.

A dedicated alert on this website includes details of school closures.

If you are looking for information on further education colleges or independent schools, please check their websites or tune in to your local radio.

An alert on this website also includes any bus service disruptions.

In the event of severe weather, it is advisable to contact the service before considering travelling.

Information from Worcestershire County Council

5:58pm

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4:19pm

Rain and snow will be clearing overnight, leading to a mainly dry and bright Saturday, according to the latest Met Office update.

The forecast is that sleet and snow will steadily clear away eastwards, leaving most places dry and clear by the early hours.

With a minimum temperature of minus 2C, icy stretches are likely to form quite widely.

Saturday will be a mainly dry day with plenty of sunshine, perhaps turning hazy in the afternoon.

t will be less cold than recent days, with a maximum temperature of 4C, but still feeling chilly in a brisk wind.

The outlook for Sunday to Tuesday is milder, but very unsettled throughout, with spells of heavy rain and strong winds.

There is an increasing risk of some flooding, as heavy rain combines with snowmelt.

3:59pm

Worcester City Council has called off all football matches due to be held on its pitches this weekend, due to the wintry weather conditions. 

3:52pm

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2:36pm

1:12pm

The Met Office is currently reporting:

More snow to come, especially in the north and east.

Today:
Another frosty and icy start, with some localised dense freezing fog patches. Steadily clouding over during the morning, with rain, sleet and snow arriving by the afternoon. Some significant falls of snow are possible in the north and east. Maximum Temperature 1 C.

Tonight:
Sleet and snow will steadily clear away eastwards, leaving most places dry and clear by the early hours. Icy stretches are likely to form quite widely. Minimum Temperature -2 C.

Saturday:
Barring the odd shower, a dry and predominantly sunny day. Less cold than recent days, but still feeling chilly in a brisk wind. Maximum Temperature 4 C.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:
Milder, but very unsettled throughout, with spells of heavy rain and strong winds affecting all areas. An increasing risk of seeing some flooding, as heavy rain combines with snowmelt.

12:57pm

WORCESTER County Council's gritting team is starting early today, ahead of more predicted snow

The latest forecasts show more snow expected in Worcestershire this afternoon. 

It is expected to start with light flurries but become heavier from around 3pm.  It is thought to be a mix of sleet and snow, with snow more likely across higher routes. 

The council's fleet of gritters have already been out from 10am this morning on the county's secondary routes and will react throughout the afternoon as conditions develop. 

The County Council's Twitter account @worcscc (www.twitter.com/worcscc) has continued to be on #grittertwitter overdrive, providing updates and responses on what the gritting teams are up to, as well as giving updates on school closures, bus services and services such as social care. The number of Twitter followers has shot up from just over 4,000 last week to over 4,800 during the severe weather so far.

Motorists are once again being urged to drive with caution, remember that gritting is not a miracle solution, and temper their driving according to the conditions. Despite roads looking clear the extreme freezing temperatures means there's still a significant risk of ice.

Gritting teams have also been out and about refilling grit bins across the county as fast as they can. To help residents pinpoint their nearest grit bin an interactive map is available at www.worcestershire.gov.uk/gritting, which allows users to search by postcode.

The dedicated section of the website also includes a map showing the designated routes, which are served by the 31 gritting vehicles, answers to FAQs, road safety advice and local radio station frequencies.

Jon Fraser, county council highways customer and community manager, said: "Although we expect things to warm up this weekend, today's snow is likely to cause some disruption on the roads.  The gritting teams have already been out to get ahead before the snow starts.  We're urging drivers to continue to take care, temper their speed and leave extra space between themselves and the vehicle in front to help reduce the risk of accidents."

12:52pm

Due to impending bad weather, tonight's Worcestershire Youth Orchestra rehearsal has been rescheduled for Friday, February 15. All Saturday rehearsals will take place as usual.

12:45pm

12:22pm

THIS afternoon's meeting of Worcestershire County Council's environment and economy overview and scrutiny panel has been cancelled due to expected heavy snow this afternoon between 3pm and 6pm.

12:17pm

Snow is reported to be falling heavily in some parts of Herefordshire, including Leominster.

11:57am

11:27am

THE grand final of Worcestershire's Young Poet Laureate that was due to take place at the Number 8 Theatre in Pershore this evening has been postponed.

Kathy Kirk, Worcestershire County Council's strategic libraries and learning manager, said: "We are very disappointed to let you know that we have had to take the decision to postpone tonight's final.

"Fourteen of the fifteen finalists live in the north of the county and we are aware of concerns from parents and teachers about the weather forecast for tonight.

"Apologies for the inconvenience. We will be re-arranging the event in the spring."

11:24am

THE search to find Worcestershire’s Young Poet Laureate for 2013 will last a little longer after the event fell foul to predicted snowfall.

Organisers have postponed tonight’s final, which was due to take place at Number 8 in Pershore at 7.30pm, due to the expected snowfall this afternoon and evening.

A new date in the spring will be announced in due course.

Kathy Kirk, Worcestershire County Council’s strategic librariesand learning manager, said: “We are very disappointed to let you know that we have had to take the decision to postpone tonight's final of Worcestershire Young Poet Laureate competition due to be held at Pershore No 8.

“Fourteen of the 15 finalists live in the north of the county and we are aware of concerns from parents and teachers about the weather forecast for tonight.”

Last year’s winner was Rowan Standish-Hayes, of Malvern, a pupil at the Chase School.

11:13am

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10:37am

10:31am

The Malvern buzzards have company.

Here's Malvern sculptor Ed Elliott with his latest snow sculpture, in Rosebank Gardens.

8:50am

Anthony Astbury, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, said: "Many northern, central and eastern parts of the UK look set to see the final fall of snow for this cold spell.

"Then we will see a change to milder and more unsettled conditions, as Atlantic weather systems bring spells of wind and rain, but also some drier brighter conditions at times.

"Everyone is advised to keep up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings and plan ahead if they are travelling during this change from icy to mild conditions."

Phil Rothwell, Environment Agency Flood Risk Manager, said: "A combination of rain and snowmelt over the weekend will increase the risk of flooding especially in South West England, Wales, the west Midlands and northern England.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and have teams ready to respond to any potential flooding.

"People should check out if they are in a flood risk area, and sign up to free flood warnings on the  Environment Agency website."

8:46am

Met Office forecast:

West Midlands

More snow to come, especially in the north and east.

Today: Another frosty and icy start, with some localised dense freezing fog patches. Steadily clouding over during the morning, with rain, sleet and snow arriving by the afternoon. Some significant falls of snow are possible in the north and east. Maximum Temperature 1 °C

Tonight: Sleet and snow will steadily clear away eastwards, leaving most places dry and clear by the early hours. Icy stretches are likely to form quite widely. Minimum Temperature -2 °C.

Saturday: Barring the odd shower, a dry and predominantly sunny day. Less cold than recent days, but still feeling chilly in a brisk wind. Maximum Temperature 4 °C.

8:20am

Full School Closures

Walkwood CE Middle School: 
No Water Burst water mains pipe.
Water has been turned off by Severn Trent, so no water or toilet facilities.

Partial School Closures

Woodfield Middle School
Severe Weather - Snow
School closing early at 2.15 pm to avoid potential issues with forecast snowfall and to avoid further problems with re-freezing of the untreated public footpath on the Studley Road. Parents/ carers can collect their child from the usual place (pupil gates). Morning registration will now be as normal. All parts of school open as normal throughout the day. However, the school will close early, at 2.15 pm.

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