Britain is likely to remain in the grip of a winter blast until at least Tuesday next week, as forecasters warn that snowfall will soon spread to the south.
Schools and airports across the country were forced to close yesterday as snow and ice caused severe disruption.
David Cameron even took the unusual step of intervening to warn the public to be vigilant against the plummeting temperatures. He has also asked officials to update Number 10 on the unfolding disruption.
He said: "The gritters are out and people should listen to warnings. I have asked for an update on our heavy snow contingency plans."
Manchester airport, the UK’s third busiest, was forced to close for several hours to allow snowploughs to clear snow from the runways. East Midlands airport also suffered disruption.
Parts of the North West even suffered bouts of ‘thunder snow’ where snow fell instead of rain during thunderstorms.
More than 250 schools in Yorkshire and Derbyshire closed their doors to pupils while hundreds more opened either late or only partially. In Bradford alone 96 schools were forced to close because of the heavy snowfall. Over 100 schools were forced to shut in both Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Tulloch Bridge in Inverness-shire was blanketed with 9ins of snow while 8in fell in Glenanne, Armagh. Spadeadam in Cumbria had 5ins.
Isolated flurries of snow touched exposed parts of north London but did not settle.
The Met Office has issued an amber "be prepared" snow warning covering large swathes of Britain,from Liverpool Bay across to the Humber to the western side of the Welsh mountains.
The South and South East will not be spared as forecasters warn that snow showers will affect ‘most areas’.
Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: "We have got snow falling in a number of areas in the North and West, including thunderstorms.
"The snowfall is going to continue throughout the night. In the amber area we could see more than 5cm of snow, and more than 15cm on higher ground.
Friday weather map and four-day forecast
The weather will become milder on Friday, reaching up to 7C in the south.
But an Arctic blast will send a fresh wave of snow and freezing temperatures over the weekend when snow will spread to parts of the country that have so far escaped the winter onslaught.
The Met Office has issued snow warnings for the weekend and said more could be put in place.
Snow is predicted to again hit the north of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday, and will spread down both sides of the UK on Sunday, hitting western Wales, south-west England, east Anglia and the east coast of England.
Temperatures will struggle to get above freezing in parts of the North on Sunday.
Mr Partridge said: "Not until the middle or end of next week will we see the possibility of things changing to milder conditions."
Public Health England (PHE) have warned the immobile, elderly and those with young children to keep their homes warm through the worst of the cold snap.
Dr Angie Bone, head of extreme events at PHE, said: "It's worth remembering that most outdoor slips, trips and falls in weather like this are of those who are of working age, accidents can happen to anyone. So if you're heading out, wear lots of thin layers and shoes with a good, slip-resistant grip.
"If you're staying indoors, have plenty of warm food and drinks to stay warm. Try to maintain indoor temperatures to at least 18C, particularly if you are not mobile, have long-term illness or are over 65 and check weather forecasts and plan your day around them."
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