Big chill hits -8C as snow on way
Temperatures dipped as low as -8C (17F) in parts of the West Midlands last night – as forecasters said more snow could be on the way.
Wintry showers are expected to hit the region again tonight bringing a mix of rain, sleet and snow.
Experts say the big freeze will last through most of January, with temperatures struggling to get above freezing at day or night.
Byron Chalcraft, from the Met Office, said the average temperature in the West Midlands last night was -5C (23F). He said: "Overnight there will be a mixture of rain, a bit of sleet and a bit of snow. Over the higher parts, we could see as much as three inches of snow.
"We certainly haven't seen the last of the snow."
But the conditions brought an added bonus for some New Year's Eve revellers after they were forced to spend three days snowed in at England's highest pub.
Around 60 guests who were booked in at the Tan Hill Inn, which stands more than 1,700 feet above sea level in the Yorkshire Dales, were trapped by 7ft drifts.
Picture by Allan Williamson.
