SCOTLAND woke to a blanket of snow yesterday (Tue) morning – despite spring being just around the corner.
Fresh powder up to 8cm deep was been recorded across the country, creating hazardous conditions for drivers and pedestrians.
Several schools were closed in the Highlands and Perthshire because of the weather, and there were tailbacks on some of Scotland’s busiest roads as the icy tarmac caused crashes.
The Met Office issued a yellow “be aware” warning for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland as ice and snow began to fall in lowland areas.
The busy M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh made for treacherous driving as snow and slush covered the road surface. A jack-knifed NHS lorry on the westbound carriageway resulted in delays of up to 40 minutes for early-morning commuters.
There were several minor accidents through the morning on roads in Stirlingshire and Perthshire, while Traffic Scotland warned of hazardous conditions on the A90 around Kinross due to heavy snow.
There was further disruption on the A90 near Portlethen, after a lorry burst a tyre and caught fire. The northbound carriageway was completely blocked as police and fire services attended the scene.
Several ferry services to the west coast islands were on high alert – including the Calmac service between Uig and Harris – meaning that they could be cancelled at short notice.
A Met office spokesman said: “The public are advised to be aware of tricky travel conditions generally, and possible disruption to transport.”
Scots took to social media to express their surprise, and annoyance, at the snowfall.
Monica Dudley wrote: “It’s snowing in March. What even is this country?”
Danah Gow complained: “No snow at Christmas but… 2nd of March? Ok Scotland.”
Claire Haswell uploaded a picture of snowy Fife and said: “Hurry up spring! My sandals are no good in this!”
Author Ian Rankin also retweeted a photograph which showed the view of Edinburgh from Calton Hill, where snow can be seen scattered over the rooftops.
Wintry showers are forecast overnight, mainly along the north and the west coast, with temperatures hovering around freezing. Tomorrow looks to be much drier and brighter, with spells of sunshine and lighter winds across the whole of Scotland.
The rest of the month is predicted to be mainly sunny and dry with scattered showers.
The rescue of a woman seriously injured in a car accident on Harris on Monday was delayed because of heavy snow.
Emergency services reached the scene of the one car accident north of Tarbert shortly after 7:40am.
But the ambulance taking the woman to hospital was delayed at the scene because it had to wait for a snow plough to clear the road to Lewis.
