THE festive season has begun, with snow unexpectedly arriving on our doorsteps.
Snow arrived in Evesham and throughout the West Midlands today (November 19) closing multiple schools and creating delays for commuters.
A yellow weather warning had been issued for parts of Worcestershire but the sudden blanket of snow took many by surprise.
Four schools across Evesham were closed including in Blackminster and Church Lench.
Chipping Campden school in Gloucestershire was also closed due to heavy snow.
Here's a full list of the school closures:
- Blackminster Middle School
- Bredon Hill Academy
- Chipping Campden School
- Church Lench CE First School (closed early at 1.30pm)
- Prince Henry's High School (closed early at 2.30pm)
In total more than 30 schools were forced to close across Worcestershire.
In a statement from Worcestershire County Council early on in the morning, they confirmed that gritters had been working throughout the night to clear away snow that had fallen on the roads.
The council confirmed that all primary and secondary roads had been cleared and that traffic was running smoothly.
It was however slow going on county lanes and commuters travelling by train were not spared.
A signal fault that later turned out to be a fallen tree caused delays of up to an hour between those wanting to get between Worcester and Hereford.
Snow continued throughout the day, eventually stopping in the early afternoon.
The weather took many residents by surprise although snow had been forecast. The Met Office said that there was a 46 percent chance snow would hit the UK.
No warning has been put in place for the West Midlands for snow tomorrow (November 20), however a yellow weather warning remains in place in parts of Wales and Scotland.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here