THE A66 has now reopened across the Pennines after being closed for several hours when heavy snow led to several HGVs getting stuck.

The Highways Agency said the trucks lost traction between Bowes and Brough due to the weather conditions.

A separate accident near Bowes then closed the eastbound carriageway. Shortly after 11am, Durham Police said the road has now reopened.

Elsewhere in the region, Cleveland Police reported a series of minor collisions caused by people failing to drive to the conditions.

Last night the Met Office upgraded its warning for blizzards, snow and ice across the North-East and North Yorkshire. 

The A68 in Carterway Heads, near Edmundbyers, County Durham was closed eastbound between the B6278 junction and the Pemberton Road junction, because of snow and an accident involving two vehicles - six other vehicles are stuck on the road due to the snow.

The Northern Echo:

The road later reopened, thanks to an heroic effort by gritters, but travel remains difficult and police say drivers should take extra care.

Snow has also been reported at lower levels in Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor but seems to be turning to rain in Darlington and on Teesside.

The weather did not deter footballers at Guisborough Town where the home team took on Whinney Banks YCC in the North Riding Senior Cup.

Despite near blizzard conditions at times, see above, the snow did not lie and the game was played to a  finish, with Guisborough running out comfortable 8-2 winners.

A cold weather front is to sweep in with temperatures expected to drop as much as 10C to below zero overnight into Thursday.

A spokesman said: "Snow showers will become widespread and heavier across northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland  this evening and will continue through the night into Thursday morning.

"Snow amounts will be very variable but over 5 cm will accumulate at lower levels in places with over 15 cm on high ground. Strong and gusty winds will lead to drifting and blizzard conditions at times, especially over higher routes.

"Over higher ground and some of the higher transport routes 15 cm or more is possible. Strong west to northwesterly winds will also lead to drifting and temporary blizzard conditions especially over high ground. The showers will become a little less frequent during Thursday morning."

Weathermen say the public should be prepared for travel disruption and hazardous driving conditions.

The Northern Echo:

ROAD TO SNOWHERE: snow plasters road signs in Scotland where the snow started falling a couple of hours ago

Billy Payne of forecaster MeteoGroup said: "We will certainly notice a drop in temperatures from in the region of 10C to, by the end of the day, 4C or 5C and widely dropping below zero overnight - down to minus 5C in high ground in the north."

While the cold weather is set to remain into early next week, Mr Payne said, it is unlikely the UK could experience an impact from the heavy blizzards hitting much of the north-eastern coast of the US.

The Northern Echo:

SNOW GOOD: a hardy cyclist braving a blizzard yesterday lunchtime

Meanwhile, Dr Angie Bone, head of extreme events team at Public Health England, said: "In this sort of weather we know that older people and people in poor health tend to stay indoors.

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LORRY FIRE: The tyres on this lorry in Hunwick caught fire and spread to the rest of the vehicle after the driver tried to rescue his vehicle from the hedge. Picture: DAVID PARRY

"While this is sensible, it's worth remembering these people may need help getting to a hospital or GP appointment, with shopping or prescription fetching, or just someone to talk to. If you know someone in this situation, and most of us do, think about what you can you do to help out.

"Contrary to popular belief, it's actually working age adults who have most slips and trips outside in cold and icy weather, not older people, which is why it's important to wear shoes with a good, slip-resistant grip to prevent any accidental falls."