Blog: Latest East Lancashire weather updates (From Blackburn Citizen)

2:48pm

Wycoller Country Park closes

Wycoller Country Park has closed due to wintry weather.

Nick Osborne, from Lancashire County Council's Countryside Service, said: "Due to severe road conditions on the lanes leading to Wycoller Country Park, the county council has reluctantly cancelled events over the Easter weekend.

"We advise visitors not to put themselves at risk by trying to reach the country park on Winewall Road or Rock Lane from Trawden.

"Our highways team dug a route into Wycoller village on Sunday evening, after it had been cut off for a number of days, but it remains a single track route cut through deep snow drifts, with very few passing places and is not suitable for normal traffic.

"All events at Wycoller have been cancelled, including the Easter egg painting and rolling events.

"This is obviously very disappointing as the Easter break is a great time to be visiting the countryside, but we can't have visitors using the roads to Wycoller at the moment because they remain hazardous."

1:56pm

1:29pm

There's still light snow in Blackburn, while there's snow falling heavily in areas of Pendle.

Here's the latest weather forecast:

9:25am

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8:51am

WEDNESDAY

It's snowing again in East Lancashire this morning, but so far there are no signs of it settling at lower levels.

Blessed Trinity School in Burnley is closed all day because of problems with its water supply.

Here's the latest weather forecast for the region:

5:45pm

Light snowfall has been spotted in East Lancashire throughout the day, but no further problems have been caused.

Here's the latest weather forecast for the region:

11:31am

Roads still blocked despite 3,000 tonnes of salt spread

SNOW drifts and hazardous conditions left roads and schools closed yesterday as East Lancs battled the ‘freak’ end-of-March weather.

Lancashire County Council used around 3,000 tonnes of salt between Thursday and yesterday to try to keep roads open.

But cars were still unable to get along the A682 between Main Street, Gisburn, and Wheathead Lane, Blacko, and Keighley Road in Colne yesterday afternoon.

Duncan Reeve, the council’s highways manager for the east, said his teams had ‘pulled out all the stops’.

He said: “They absolutely could not have done or given any more. They worked continuously from Thursday evening and we brought in sub-contractors to help out as well.

“We were as well prepared as we had ever been thanks to experience gained from recent severe winters.

“The worst drifts were in East Lancashire and in that part of the county alone we had 23 gritters out fitted with snowploughs, 16 JCBs with snow shovels, and two snow-blowers.”

The county council also had five contracted farmers lending a hand in rural areas. Belthorn Academy Primary School, in Belthorn Road, announced yesterday it would remain shut today.

Headteacher Steven Tilley said the police had advised him the school should stay closed until the footpaths were safe to use.

He said: “We are assessing the situation on a day-by-day basis and will keep parents informed of how things are progressing.”

Colne Newtown Nursery School in West Street was also shut yesterday.

More light snow is expected tomorrow and odds are now shortening for the first white Easter in five years.

The council still has around 16,000 tonnes of grit in reserve.

The icy snap has also prompted two more cold weather payments to be made to qualifying households.

The two £25 instalments will be sent out by the government automatically and another £25 payment will be made if the cold weather continues through next week.

11:54am

NURSERY CLOSURE

Newtown Nursery School in Colne is closed all day.

9:12am

SCHOOL CLOSURE

Belthorn Primary School in Blackburn is closed today because of treacherous road conditions in the area.

7:48pm

Skipton Old Road, Foulridge, remains closed due to snow around Long Lane. Also affecting School Lane between A6068 Keighley Road and Carrier's Row

7:47pm

Blackburn Old Road, Great Harwood, remains closed due to snow between Harwood Road and Cliffe Lane.

7:46pm

A682 Gisburn Road closed due to snow between Beverley Road, Blacko and A59 Main Street, Gisburn. All higher routes in the area remain badly affected by drifting snow and Police have advised against all travel unless absolutely essential.
 

7:43pm

Rivington Road , Belmont, closed due to snow between Church Street (Belmont) and Belmont Road (Rivington). All higher routes in the area remain badly affected by drifting snow and Police have advised against all travel unless absolutely essential. A number of vehicles have become stuck on the stretch.

7:42pm

A6068 Keighley Road remains closed due to snow between B6250 Cotton Tree Lane (Colne) and Old Lane (Cowling). Affecting traffic between Colne and Keighley.

7:41pm

The Highways Agency hope to have the lane on M61 re-opened soon. Lane wasclosed due to snow on M61 Southbound from J8 A6 / A674 (Chorley) to Rivington Services.

12:35pm

ROADS have been reopened after drifting snow made it too difficult for vehicles to pass.

The A675 Bolton Road between Abbey Village and Hoghton has reopened after snow cleared near the M65 Junction 3. The closure had been affecting traffic between Blackburn and Bolton.

The A666 between Darwen and Bolton has also reopened after snow drifts blocked the route.

Currently road closures are still in place in Blackburn Old Road, Great Harwood and Keighley Road in Colne.

The Met Office said bitterly cold weather would continue today, but that patchy snow would continue to ease.

Some bright or sunny spells are expected to develop. However it will be very cold, with strong winds which could drift snow lying around on high ground. Maximum temperature today is expected to be threeC.

Tonight will be a very cold but largely dry night with clear spells. The odd snow flurry is expected with a hard frost developing, icy stretches and strong winds.

Monday is expected to remain very cold with biting easterly winds and light snow showers possible, mainly over the Pennines.

8:27am

Snow cleared on A666 Bolton Road between Queen's Road and B6391 Greens Arms Road. Had been affecting traffic heading between Darwen and Bolton.

8:25am

Snow now cleared on A675 between M65 J3 / A674 (Riley Green, Blackburn) and Templecombe Drive (Bolton).

8:24am

One lane closed and slow traffic due to snow on M61 Southbound from J8 A6 / A674 (Chorley) to Rivington Services. Lane one (Of three) is closed because of drifting snow. Still no estimate as to when it will re-open.

4:54pm

Residents in Laneshawbridge have described the snow in the village as the worst in decades.

Coun Paul White, who represents the Boulsworth ward on Pendle Council and lives in Laneshawbridge, said: “The residents here have said that it is the worst snow they have seen since 1978. On some of the lanes in the village it was ten foot deep in places.
“On Friday night all the roads in and out of the village were closed and quite a few of the cars were abandoned.
“At these levels there is not much gritters can do but this afternoon there were Lancashire County Council diggers clearing the snow and gritters then following in their path."

4:47pm

A666 Bolton Road, Darwen, still blocked due to snow between Queen's Road and B6391 Greens Arms Road.

4:42pm

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3:13pm

A6068 Keighley Road, Colne, remains closed due to snow between B6250 Cotton Tree Lane (Colne) and Old Lane (Cowling). Affecting traffic between Colne and Keighley.

3:11pm

Halifax Road, Brierfield, blocked due to snow between King's Causeway and Nelson Road / Burnley Road / Todmorden Road. Drifting snow has completely blocked the road heading over the tops between Nelson and Burnley.

3:10pm

Skipton Old Road, Foulridge, closed due to snow around Long Lane. Also affecting School Lane between A6068 Keighley Road and Carrier's Row

3:05pm

Grane Road remains closed due to snow between B6235 Holcombe Road (Haslingden) and M65 J5 (Blackburn).

3:04pm

B6231 Duckworth Hill Lane, Oswaldtwistle, just passable due to snow between B6236 Haslingden Road and Willow Park.

3:03pm

Hazardous driving conditions due to snow on A671 Bacup Road both ways between A646 Burnley Road (Burnley) and A681 Yorkshire Street (Bacup).

3:02pm

Blackburn Old Road, Great Harwood, closed due to snow between Harwood Road and Cliffe Lane.

1:46pm

A6068 Keighley Road closed due to snow between B6250 Cotton Tree Lane (Colne) and Old Lane (Cowling). Between Colne and Keighley.

1:45pm

A666 Bolton Road blocked due to snow between Queen's Road and B6391 Greens Arms Road. Two snow-ploughs have become stuck in drifting snow near Bull Hill Cottages. Recovery vehicles are now also stuck at the scene, affecting traffic heading between Darwen and Bolton. The A675 is also closed between Blackburn and Bolton.

1:42pm

One lane closed and slow traffic due to snow on M61 Southbound from J8 A6 / A674 (Chorley) to Rivington Services. Lane one is closed because of drifting snow and there is no estimate as to when it will re-open.

1:41pm

A675 closed due to snow between M65 J3 / A674 (Riley Green, Blackburn) and Templecombe Drive (Bolton). A number of accidents have already occurred and the drifting snow is now just too deep for vehicles to pass. Affecting traffic between Blackburn and Bolton. The A666 is also blocked between Darwen and Bolton.

1:13pm

TWO Lancashire County Council gritters were stuck in the hills near Blacko this morning.

A snow plough cut a path four feet deep through the snow to allow rescue vehicles in.

The gritter driver had been in the snow for several hours and was only rescued when a crane arrived to lift the gritter out of a ditch at 10am.

A second gritter wagon was stuck in a ditch about 300 metres further down the road.

Other drivers either abandoned their vehicles or stayed for six hours whilst the road was cleared.

Nearby resident Darren Reynolds said, "It's amazing what happens when you get to the crest of the hill.

"On the south side, it's a pretty, Christmas card scene. On the north side, it's more like a scene from The Day After Tomorrow.

"A biting wind was blowing the snow sideways into huge drifts and you needed proper, Alpine winter gear to be out in it.

"Anyone who tries to drive anything that isn't a large tractor or specialist snow plough on that road today would have to be nuts."

4:11pm

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CHAOS: Drivers on Blackburn Road, Edgworth at lunchtime today.

Picture by LT reader Alan Wright

4:03pm

SNOW: Blackburn Road, Edgworth. Picture by LT reader Alan Wright

3:57pm

3:21pm

How is the snow where you are? Comment on the blog and let us know...

1:58pm

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1:28pm

Several East Lancashire roads have been hit by closures due to snow and blizzards, including Blackburn Old Road in Great Harwood, Duckworth Hill Lane in Oswaldtwistle and Grane Road in Haslingden.

12:36pm

Sharneyford Primary School, in Todmorden Road, Bacup, is closed today because of the snow.

11:59am

STUCK: A car gets caught in the snow in Burnley

11:46am

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10:05am

9:37am

Brinscall St John's Church of England/Methodist Primary School in Chorley has closed due to snow.

9:36am

The Easter Fair at Water School has been postponed due to the snow until Monday.

9:01am

Belthorn Foundation Primary School in Blackburn has also had to close.

9:01am

Hendon Brook School in Nelson is closed

9:00am

8:59am

8:51am

8:50am

8:50am

SCHOOLS have been forced to shut their doors because of the snow.

Colne Christ Church CofE Primary School and Roughlee CofE Primary School have both announced that they will not open today because of the adverse weather conditions.

Blizzards were also reported on the Grane Road in Haslingden but all other major roads were coping well with the weather after extensive gritting overnight

4:40pm

4:19pm

LANCASHIRE'S gritters are gearing-up to keep the county moving with current forecasts predicting a risk of snow through Thursday night into Friday and the possibility of more winter weather for the weekend.

Crews will be gritting throughout the county on Thursday evening and will plough and grit as necessary through the night in east Lancashire where the worst conditions are expected.

Inspections will be carried out in all areas in the early hours with crews ready to respond quickly to changing conditions, and a new shift of drivers will be ready to keep ploughing and gritting on Friday morning if needed.

Forecasts for east Lancashire predict that up to 2cm of snow could fall quite widely, with up to 15cm in ! higher areas and strong winds causing blizzard-like condition and drifting over high ground.

County Councillor Tim Ashton, Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "We're as well prepared as we've ever been thanks to experience gained from recent severe winters and our gritting crews will be working around the clock if needed to keep Lancashire moving.

"As always our top priority in the event of significant snow will be to focus at first on ploughing and salting the network of A and B roads which link towns, villages, and vital infrastructure such as train stations and hospitals.

"During a snowstorm this can be a challenge in itself, and depending on the conditions it could be some time before the main routes are clear and we have the resources available to treat the secondary network of more minor roads.

"I would ask people to be prepared and check their vehicles are equipped for winter, and also to carefully! consider whether they need to make a journey at all if they know trav el is disrupted."

Lancashire County Council has a fleet of 49 frontline gritters which can treat the 1,500 miles of the county council's priority road network within around four hours, but may take longer in severe conditions.

When it snows, it can cost up to £100,000 a day to keep the operation going.

County Councillor Ashton added: "I'd ask everyone to be careful with the cold conditions predicted to be with us into next week. Even when a road has been gritted, it can remain icy until the movement of traffic has worked the salt in and made it take effect."

People can find information and advice on winter weather, including real-time gritting updates on Lancashire County Council's website which has links to forecasts and the council's Twitter and Facebook feeds which are updated every time the gritters go out.

1:30pm

1:24pm

AMBER warning issued for East Lancashire ... Snow is on the way!

11:27am

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10:39am

10:37am

The Met Office has issued a Yellow Alert of Snow for North West England

10:26am

10:13am

SNOW is expected in East Lancashire tomorrow and Saturday - keep an eye on this page for regular updates on the weather and any disruption it might cause.

10:09am