Snowfall closes roads and schools, with more forecast
SNOW bought disruption to Devon roads and the A361 was blocked for hours after an HGV jack-knifed on Friday morning.
A Mercedes Tesco distribution lorry was reported to police to be blocking a carriageway on the North Devon Link Road after it skidded on ice and snow shortly after 5.40am.
The A361 was closed at Bolham and a Honda CR-V and a Peugeot 508 collided in treacherous conditions at Rackenford within ten minutes of the HGV incident.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "It is fair to say we had traffic problems until at least 9am.
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"There were no injuries in the two-car collision but there was front end damage to both and they were not driveable. These vehicle were recovered at around 8.45am."
Devon County Council teams were working to keep traffic moving following heavy snowfall in the early hours of Friday morning.
Most major routes were passable with care and highways chiefs warned of hazardous conditions, particularly on rural roads.
Gritting lorries and ploughs were brought in to clear snow which drifted onto the dual carriageway, which runs from junction 27 of the M5 at Sampford Peverell to Barnstaple.
A number of roads across Exmoor were also closed, including the A399 at Friendship Cross due to snow drifts of up to five-foot and the B3224, Dulverton, and the B3358, near Simonsbath. Snow blowers and JCBs were called in to help clear the roads.
A number of schools across Devon were also closed.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, county cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "Our teams were working hard throughout the night gritting and ploughing main roads.
"The conditions were challenging on Friday morning and most major routes were passable with care, but we were dealing with extremely hazardous conditions on some roads, such as the A361."
The Met Office has warned of further icy conditions this week.
Spokesperson Helen Chivers said: "More cold, wintry weather is on the way this week, with further snow during the first part of the week. It'll be a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow.
"Temperatures will remain very cold – close to freezing across Devon and Cornwall. Overnight temperatures will be down to minus three in Exeter."
Light snow has been forecast for Tiverton today, with heavier showers tonight, and the rest of the week it is expected to be overcast and cloudy.
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