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Video: Snow in Peterborough causes traffic chaos but fun for the kids!
Monday, 9.25am: A blanket of snow covered Peterborough on Saturday night causing traffic chaos but boundless joy for thousands of children.
School closures: The Beeches Primary School an The Beeches Primary School and Neal Wade Community College are closed today. School closures list from Peterborough City Council
In pictures - gallery: Snow arrives in Peterborough
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Flakes began to fall on evening on Saturday, with about four inches settling across the city by Sunday morning.
It created treacherous driving conditions in the evening and Peterborough City Council’s gritters were called out three times on Saturday and were forced to use ploughs at 9pm on their final run.
Despite piles of salt and grit being used to treat the main highways, many roads were dangerous and some impassable.
And forecasters are predicting freezing temperatures for the rest of the week, prompting warnings as the slush is expected to turn to ice today.
Graham Last (58), of Longthorpe, travelled to see his elderly parents in Norwich on Saturday and said the return journey was one of the most frightening of his life.
He said: “I’ve been driving for years and never had a major accident but the A47 was horrible.
“I was really quite scared, it was as if the roads were not gritted. I know the snow fell quickly but I don’t understand how it got so bad.
“The cars were just slithering around all over the place.
“Thankfully everyone was being quite careful. We were all reduced to driving at about 30 miles an hour.
“The stretch between Wisbech and Guyhirn was probably the worst.”
Mr Last’s journey took him about three hours, twice what he would expect on a normal Saturday evening.
And hundreds of fans travelling back from Posh’s clash with the Clarets in Burnley struggled to cope with the weather.
Steve Thorpe, who runs Peterborough charity Free Kicks Foundation, and his son Ashley (15) were forced to spend the night in the Lancashire town.
He said: “We spent three hours trying to get out of Burnley and travelled about 200 yards.
“In the end we turned back and stayed in a hotel which I think was probably the right decision.
“The strange thing was, we started the weekend at a Snow Patrol concert in Manchester!”
While the worst of the snow has passed, forecasters are predicting temperatures of minus 5C in rural areas which could cause havoc.
Trev Robbins-Pratt, of Peterborough Weather Watch in Stanground, said: “It doesn’t look like there is going to be any major snow this week but we will likely get freezing fog.
“There is a slow thaw but there is such a lot of snow it will take a while to melt.
“With temperatures likely to fall that could turn to ice.
“But we have finally got the weather to go with the season.”
The forecast prompted warnings from the emergency services which have been kept busier than usual.
The East of England Ambulance Service was called out to two crashes in Cambridgeshire and police advised drivers to only get in the car if needed.
PC Steve Gedny said: “The snow and ice on the roads combine to make tricky driving conditions and mean it is even more important to prepare your vehicle before setting off.
“If the weather is severe please consider if you need to make the journey. If it is essential make sure you allow plenty of time.”
But it wasn’t all misery with young and old taking time to enjoy the snow.
Big kids Gary Graver (29) and Murray Watson (30) spent yesterday building a 12 ft snowman in Folksworth.
Gary said: “I think I started at about 10am and finished before it got dark. We’ve taken all the snow from the front garden, next door’s and the grass in front, there’s a least two tonnes of snow in there.”
And Murray made a giant beer bottle around a tube of piping so he can super chill his alcohol.
For more on Peterborough’s weather visit www.peterboroughweatherwatch.com and for advice on driving visit www.direct.gov.uk
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 7 comments to this article
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lifedissaffected
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 06:27 PM@5 Corrupted URL - try searching for 'hertfordshire getting to grips with winter' on you tube to see video
speedyshane
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 02:42 PMI think the headline should be changed to people cause traffic chaos!
lifedissaffected
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 01:06 PMTry this video if you want to learn something about gritting - http:www.youtube.comwatch?v=j9qHkOfILeI&feature=youtu.be
lifedissaffected
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12:45 PMGreat to see children and families enjoying the snow and equally tired of seeing the same old headline from the ET 'snow causes traffic chaos'.
Outcast
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 11:14 AMReverse slashes ........ http:\\tinyurl.com\OrtonStaunch
rebel woman
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 10:47 AMIt was great to see the children playing out, although not very safe to stand at the top of a hill right next to a busy road
feduppete
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 10:24 AMWe live near Cuckoo Hollow and my wife and I went for a walk around there yesterday. It was a joy to see all the schoolchildren from the area enjoying themselves so much in the snow. It certainly makes a change from computer games and the Xbox which I understand is pretty much the norm these days..
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