Winter chaos across the district
THERE was chaos across the district this morning as residents woke up to a bed of snow.
Main roads into and out of the town came to a standstill and cars were abandonned on the pavements and lay-bys.
Bus routes were also heavily disrupted and there were accidents on the A61 both ways, causing delays and gridlock.
All of Harrogate and District's buses were cancelled by 9.30am, with the exception of the Harrogate-Knaresborough route, although these services were only running as far as the Knaresborough bus station.
The bus company did not report any accidents, although its 36 bus got stuck on Daffodill Bend coming out of Ripon towards Harrogate.
The company said it was reviewing its services every hour.
The Harrogate and Knaresborough southern bypass is covered in snow and very slow going, with a few cars dotted at side junctions unable to move
Burn bridge is also thick with snow, although there are virtually no cars on this stretch of road.
Leeds Road roundabout is also pretty treachourous, while cars moving through Spofforth are crawling along at around ten miles per hour.
The junction of West Park and Leeds Road also came to a halt with queues backing up Otley Road.
Schools were also hit by the weather, with a host of primary and secondary schools forced to shut for the morning.
Trains were largely unaffected, providing the best option for many commuters trying to get into the town centre.
NHS North Yorkshire and York is also urging people to keep their homes warm.
Rachel Johns, Associate Director of Public Health for the Primary Care Trust, said: "To keep well during winter, it is essential to keep warm.
"As the weather gets colder, we are all more likely to catch colds or flu; and if our body temperature drops then the risks of a heart attack, stroke or breathing difficulties increase.
"This is especially true for older people, or if those with a physical disability."
Click here for the view from the Met Office for Harrogate.
More later.
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Weather for Harrogate
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
