Will it snow again in Leeds? Fresh Met Office forecast after a day of heavy snow causes chaos

More than 100 schools across the city shut their doors as heavy snow began to fall from 6am and continued through most of the day.

The Met Office issued a weather warning which was in force through to 8pm, and the heavy snow was almost constant.

Roads became impassable and traffic flashpoints quickly emerged in various parts of Leeds. In Kirkstall, 10 buses became stuck on the same road, Kirkstall Hill, and a double decker bus driver had to blockade the road with his vehicle to stop any further traffic.

Within a few hours, all bus services from First Bus and Arriva were suspended across the city.

Drivers were warned to stay home as conditions quickly became treacherous. A five-car pile-up happened in Bramley.

West Yorkshire Police were called to Lower Town Street near Bramley Shopping Centre at 8.42am.

Five vehicles were involved in the crash and the junction was closed to traffic.

A double decker got stuck on Rex Hill in Middleton, with people attempting to push it up the hill, while a taxi crashed in Seacroft.

As many as 30 gritters were out while 11 snow plough tractors also helped to keep roads clear, the council said.

But will it snow again in Leeds?

This is what the Met Office forecast says:

It is possible that further sleet showers could hit the city, but snow is not explicitly forecast for Leeds on Friday or Saturday.

This Evening and Tonight:

Rain, sleet and snow should clear all but the Pennines quite early this evening. Cloud will begin to clear in the east leading to a risk of icy stretches, severe frost and fog later. Bitterly cold. Minimum temperature -8 °C.

Friday:

Another cold day but most parts will stay dry with patchy cloud and some sunny spells after a sharp early frost. Cloud will thicken as winds begin to strengthen later. Maximum temperature 2 °C.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Windy with rain and snow on Saturday, this possibly significant. Dry, bright, but cold on Sunday. Dry initially but rain, snow and strong winds in the south later on Monday.

What is Leeds Council doing about snow? Have Leeds roads been gritted?

A spokesman for the council said: "Gritting of primary routes – around 800 miles of road – took place at 4.30am and 8am Thursday morning, with pre-emptive grits at 4pm and 7.30pm Wednesday.

"A total of 30 gritters were still doing the rounds this afternoon, supported by 11 tractor snowploughs with drivers from the council’s Parks and Countryside team.

"Staff are out and about making sure grit bins are well stocked and also responding to reports of problems on footways, while mini-gritters and tractors are being used on some of the city’s secondary routes.

"Across the board, the council currently has around 100 staff dealing directly with snow-related issues.

"Despite the huge efforts made by the council’s gritting teams, the continuing snow and sub-zero road surface temperatures mean some disruption to journeys has sadly been unavoidable.

"Additional gritting efforts have been focused on the areas around the city’s primary care network COVID-19 vaccination centres.

"Around 100 schools have closed as a result of the weather

"The hazardous conditions have also seen West Yorkshire Police advising people to avoid going out by car wherever possible.

"Residents who haven’t had their bins emptied are advised to put them out again for a planned Sunday collection, when crews will try to collect as many missed bins as possible.

"Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) also closed early today following police travel advice. Residents who had a slot reserved for today are advised to please rebook