THINK it's cold just now - but cast your minds back to ten years ago this week when York and North Yorkshire were gripped in an Arctic freeze when temperatures in Yorkshire fell to their coldest ever.

There was ice on the Ouse and Foss, the council was running out of grit and bin collections were suspended and staff switched to clearing pavements.

Readings at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, fell to minus 19C at about 9am On December 3, 2010 , making it the coldest place in England.

Parish council chairman Garry Key said at the time: “There’s a really good community spirit here. People are supporting each other and going round checking on everyone.”

Ten years ago today, North Yorkshire entered another day of snow and ice disruption.

The day before, householders across the region awoke to temperatures well below zero. At 6am in York, the reading was minus 8.5C, while it dipped to minus 11.9C at Linton-on-Ouse, minus 17C at Tollerton and minus 19C at Topcliffe, said to be the lowest temperature ever recorded in Yorkshire.

Scores of schools were closed and North Yorkshire County Council mobilised Land Rovers to help get care to older or vulnerable people.

In York, gritting supplies were running low. The council warned that secondary priority roads had been gritted but they would not be gritted again at the weekend, and drivers were urged to take care. The city council had already used 2,400 tonnes of grit since November 1, 2010 – its entire stock for an average winter.

Refuse collectors whose rounds had been suspended due to the weather helped clear city centre pavements. Council JCBs worked on all Park&Ride sites, and cycle routes were treated too.