Hot off the press!
By 11pm on Thursday 17th December much of Essex is already covered in snow. It is coming down think and fast. The cold winds blowing in from the north across the North Sea have chilled the air ensuring that all snowfall settles immediately. Flakes are large which is an indication of very large and cold snow clouds.
Although Essex sees some bad snow fall each year, this is the earliest heavy snow seen in many years in this part of the country. Usually the heaviest snow falls in January and February.
Expect travel chaos tomorrow. Most small roads appear not to have been gritted, and at 6pm the A12 and A130 were still not gritted. These are major Essex commuter routes.
Local schools have already announced that they foresee closures if enough staff are unable to make it in tomorrow. Diane Middleton from the Jack and Jill nursery in West Hanningfield has already set up an emergency line of communication by telephone and email to ensure parents know the situation at the earliest possible.
Forecasters say that this could be the worse snow Essex has seen in decades. Then again, it could all be gone tomorrow afternoon…..
