First Widespread Snow of the Season Hits U.K., Causing Havoc for Drivers

Pam Wright
Published: November 9,2016
The first significant snow fell on parts of the United Kingdom on Tuesday, prompting a severe weather alert for drivers.
Residents in parts of northern England and Scotland were greeted with up to 3 inches of snow, which forced the closure of roads in the Pennines Hills.
According to the Northwich Guardian, authorities closed the Snake Pass between Manchester and Sheffield early Wednesday until the road was cleared. Motorists later reported treacherous driving conditions on several motorways at higher elevations.
The Daily Record reports that commuters took to social media to warn others of difficult conditions from Leeds, through the Yorkshire Dales to County Durham in northern England.

A man clears the path at Tow Law in County Durham after a cold snap hit parts of the United Kingdom overnight.
(Press Association via AP Images)

A 77-year-old man that strayed from a path around Langsett Reservoir, north of Sheffield, prompted a widespread search that ended when the man was located safe and sound.
"Without the massive help offered from Mountain Rescue, who sent 30 people out to help us look for this vulnerable man, this man may have succumbed to the cold weather," Inspector Simon Owens told the newspaper. "Thanks to them, the man was found a couple of hours later - cold but uninjured. They helped us save a life yesterday evening and I wish to publicly thank them for their support."
According to weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce, the U.K., along with many other parts of Europe and Russia, have seen cold and snowy conditions recently.
Snow first started to fall late last week in the Cairngorms of Scotland and has continued into early this week there and in other locations.
Monday morning was the coldest of the season so far in the U.K. with temperatures dipping as low as 20 Fahrenheit (-6.6 degrees Celsius) in Pershore, Dolce added.
The Automobile Association said Tuesday it had experienced one of its busiest day of the year so far, receiving more than 10,000 calls from motorists requesting aid.
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