Dorset County Council Press Release 13:30 Tuesday 5th January.
Dorset County Council’s gritters are gearing up for snow and freezing rain across the county this afternoon, with heavier snowfall expected overnight.
The showers of snow, sleet and freezing rain forecast for this morning have been mostly dying out before reaching Dorset, but there may still be some scattered showers, particularly in the west.However, more significant snow is expected to move in later this afternoon and then intensify this evening and tonight.
The area of worst snowfall is hard to pinpoint but there is a risk of 5-10cm, especially over higher ground, and perhaps 10-15cm by 6am on Wednesday morning.
In the worst case, there could be accumulations of more than 20cm by midday on Wednesday as snow continues through the morning. Road temperatures will remain below zero.
Levels of salt on main roads are currently high, which will help to prevent a build up of snow.
Before the snow arrives, gritting crews are taking the opportunity to salt the county’s secondary routes. They will then be on stand-by for the main snow event from mid-afternoon today.
The county council’s fleet of 26 gritters will all be fitted with snow ploughs to clear accumulations of snow. There are also more than 50 farmers across the county contracted to plough snow with their tractors if it reaches 5cm in depth.
From this afternoon, the council will open its snow control centre at County Hall in Dorchester from where it will coordinate gritting operations through the night. The council’s depots around the county will be manned around the clock by Dorset Works Organisation staff who will be in constant contact with the central control centre.
Dorset County Council cabinet member for transport, Col Geoffrey Brierley, said:
"Our gritting teams are well prepared for the forecast conditions and salt levels will be sufficient to see us through the worst of snow and ice, with more supplies on the way this week.
"Because we have been heavily salting our priority network, we can now look to treat the secondary roads before the really heavy frost arrives. When it does our fleet will concentrate on keeping traffic flowing around the county’s main roads, using snow ploughs where necessary.
"The roads can be truly treacherous in these conditions and there may still be slippery patches even on salted roads. Drivers should reduce their speed and keep plenty of distance from the vehicle in front. If conditions are severe, you should only consider travelling if you absolutely have to."
Regularly updated information about how the winter weather is affecting road conditions and services in Dorset, including gritting updates and advice for winter driving, is available at http://www.dorsetforyou.com/winter
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