GRITTERS, snowploughs and tonnes of salt were on standby today as forecasters warned that heavy snow and raging blizzards were on the way.
Large parts of the country are expected to get some snowfall over the next few days, with northern Scotland set to face the first of the wintry conditions.
Forecasters are predicting the snow will have swept across most of Scotland and Northern Ireland by this evening, along with parts of western England and Wales.
In the North East, the Highways Agency has 23 gritters and snowploughs and three snow blowers on standby to tackle the Arctic conditions and keep the motorways open.
Across the region, the agency has 12,700 tonnes of salt that can be replenished regularly to keep the gritters keep running.
The Highways Agency is working with the Met Office to give detailed regional and national weather forecasts, so it can plan ahead.
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