A SUDDEN heavy snowfall has caused problems across Wirral today.

Throughout the borough, slush-filled roads meant traffic was moving at a snail's pace.

Merseytravel said many buses were delayed due to the frozen condition of side roads.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport was forced to close due to heavy snow and ice and several flights had to be cancelled.

Across the county, 15 schools closed for the day, including South Wirral High School in Eastham.

A Merseytravel spokesman said: “Bus services across the whole of Merseyside were affected, including some in Wirral, because the ice on some roads was so bad.

“Both the Birkenhead Queensway and Wallasey Kingsway Tunnels were gritted at 4am on Tuesday morning, so traffic was able to move without any problems.”

There were no problems on the ferries and no reports of any incidents from the Coastguard.

Motorists were being advised to avoid making unnecessary journeys during the icy weather and if they must make a journey, to drive with caution.

Inspector Mark Williamson was advising people to avoid travelling by car unless absolutely necessary, and if they do take to the roads, to drive with extreme care.

He said: "There is still sheet ice on a lot of our roads which is not visible to drivers so I would urge people to drive more carefully today, wherever they are going, and to be more mindful of the other cars around them and the road conditions.

"Drivers should leave plenty of room between them and the car in front, drive slower than they normally would, and use their gears to slow down where possible rather than their brakes."

Wirral Council reassured motorists it has 350 tonnes of grit left even after having 'lent' Liverpool City Council 30 tonnes when the city’s own supplies ran out.

The Met Office forecasts that locally, the next two days should be clear, although more snow will be falling across Merseyside by the end of the week.

The South is expected to see the worst of the weather as heavy winter showers move across England and Wales.

North West Ambulance Service declared a major incident in which 999 calls are "stringently prioritised" due to the big freeze affecting the region, mainly in the Greater Manchester area.

THE GLOBE

Merseytravel snow update


1:38pm Tuesday 5th January 2010


Travel update: A Merseytravel spokesman said: "Mersey Tunnels are running fine.

"Mersey Ferries are operating a triangular service between the three terminals - no cruises. We are keeping a close eye on visibility with the snow and potential fog.

"The Merseyrail Electrics network is largely unaffected at present."

More later...

THE GLOBE

what a joke.... back in Idaho they would still be playing golf.

any news on the buses?

yeah the Birkenhead Bus Depot is closed due to heavy snow and ice.

Bus Depot or Bus Station? Another thread says Station? 2 separate places

no it's the station for some reason i keep calling it depot.

My son is due home from school Wallasey school to Wallasey I'm worried

apparantly the buses have just been cancelled but i cannot confirm it.

There's been something blowing it's hooter loads down on the river this afternoon

My neighbour works out of the garage at Prenton and has just gone off as usual to start his shift

A bit of snow and we go into melt down lol! just got told to pick me lad up from school as it is shut for the rest of the day and 2moz dew to snow.

Ooh he's just come home again!!! Maybe he should have rung
or checked on Wiki

Travel update: Police warn Wirral's M53 is down to 20mph in both directions
3:02pm Tuesday 5th January 2010

Merseyside Police has issued a warning about driving conditions on the M53 in Wirral.

The motorway runs the length of the Wirral and traffic is said to be down to 20mph in both directions, with visibility very poor.

Traffic is heavy on the Cheshire bound lanes, although still normal heading towards Liverpool at the moment.

Traffic officers have described conditions as very poor.

THE GLOBE

Travel update: Gridlock at Woodchurch Road



There are long delays and queueing traffic on Woodchurch Road between B5151 Storeton Road and M53 Junction 3 at Woodchurch as vehicles struggle to get up the hill.

THE GLOBE

Town centre gridlocked as heavy snow falls


MUCH of Birkenhead town centre is gridlocked with traffic at a virtual standstill as office make their way home early due to the continued heavy snowfall

THE GLOBE

Holt hill-one of the rooves caved in!!

Birkenhead Sixth Form college students sent home because of snow

STUDENTS at Birkenhead Sixth Form College were allowed to leave early today after afternoon lectures were scrapped due to the snow.

The globe

New Chester Road by the carphone warehouse is gridlock heading towards the tunnel, but empty heading towards the bypass

Anybody know whether the college is shut tomorrow?

Don't go by car unless you have hours to spare, took me 45 minutes to travel what normally takes 5 mins, roads are slippy and cars are skidding all over the place, especially those with back wheel drive, vans are the worst. Pavements are not to bad to walk on with the fresh snow but be careful walking on to the roads, it can catch you out.

Some snowy pics

Birkenhead Tunnel closed due to snow

POLICE have closed the Queensway Tunnel between Liverpool and Birkenhead due to massive congestion problems in Birkenhead town centre.

Drivers are advised to divert to the Kingsway tunnel connecting Liverpool and Wallasey instead.

I agree bert,just took me 2hrs to get from m53 woodchurch road to oakdean by woodchurch road school,had to leave car by the swan pub and walk it,4 bus,s side ways across the road plus cars all over the place,have to walk up there later to check if been hit or not...this country just cant cope with a bit of snow

everywhere grid locked by the sound of it

Yeah, Woodchurch Road is totally 'gridlocked'. It took me an hour to get from the Asda to the top of the bridge over the motorway, at which point I turned back and went home. Car was just wheelspinning and rotating on the spot. Braking is scary as well! If anyone plans on going out, either walk (it's not too cold or bad), or don't bother. Don't take your car out!!!

Well my van broke down and whilst it was getting fixed by the AA some one rear ended me lol, The van went in to the central resevation forcing the wheel in to the drive shaft smashig up the gear box

Anyone heard anything about a bus overturned on Claughton road?

Heard something about a power cable accross Park Road?

New Ferry bypass and the A41 heading south towards Eastham is fairly clear, going the other way though is gridlock from ASDA in Bromborough to the Birkenhead Tunnel

Abandoned vehicles add to Wirral gridlock havoc


POLICE say cars being abandoned on Wirral's snow-blocked roads are adding to gridlock across the borough.

Arterial routes like the A41 are like "car parks" due to huge congestion in Birkenhead town centre.

Traffic on nearby main roads such as Argyle Street South and Conway Street is also moving at a snail's pace, said a spokeswoman.

Many people have abandoned their vehicles to either catch a train - as most are still running normally - or even walk home.

But those abandoned cars are only adding to the congestion, she said.

The micro-blogging service Twitter andf social network site Facebook have been alive all day with users updating about localised problem.

One driver left Birkenhead at 2pm to head for Hoylake - and just reported that he is still only half way there.

Brendan Kenny, Twittering from the side of the A41, reports it has taken 90 minutes to get from Bromborough to Rock Ferry.

In Wallasey, police say drivers have reported a group of youths who have been wandering along stationary traffic on Breck Road pelting cars with snowballs.

Also on Twitter, user "escapistescape" writes: "A41 is solid with traffic as far back as Great Sutton. Current speed on there is 1 mile an hour..."

And lindaknox writes: "Warning to Wirral motorists, the whole of Bebington all way through New Ferry & up to Hr. Beb almost standstill and has been for about 1 hr."

MORE SOON.

...bit of snow and everything grinds to a halt

Traffic is crazy just because people dont know how to deal with the conditions!

Birkenhead rd totally gridlocked.

Lol, my car has not been touched all day... it is now what you call, "snowed under" lol.

I can no longer see it in the car park

Can I ask a stupid question??

Where were the gritters? None were out yesterday or today on Balls Road/Shrewsbury Road, normally a very main road always gritted.

I went from Saughall Massie to Post Sunlight last night and saw 3 gritters out and about on the way

When the snow comes down as heavy as it did this afternoon, especially after some light rain / sleet last night that will have washed it away, it would do very little....

I cant recall, but can the gritters have ploughs attatched to them?

they do have ploughs attached, saw one before stuck on the A41.

Well they havent been on Balls Road/Shrewsbury Road in Oxton, they are really noticeable, and we have a cracking CCTV system and I can tell you I have checked, really annoyed, cars have skidded outside into parked cars, its awful, no-one can get round the corner of Palm Grove onto Balls Road and its normally always gritted. Its like they have forgotten.

Sorry for moaning but I can understand the little roads being missed out not the big ones.

Has the gritting been contracted out, I remember the days when never mind how bad the roads were, the gritters (with snow ploughs) used to sail along quite happily, even down the small side streets. No doubt with our superior technology and expertise these days, the modern ones have been tested in deserts.

I think its do with the government liability law - if a road has been gritted, and there is a road accident etc within x amount of time, then the local council is automatically held liable for not gritting the road correctly. Commons sense does not exist in other words.

One reason we will never see them sorting the pavements out.

I heard this on BBC Radio Merseyside.

How does the man who drives the gritter get to work, or does he take his work home with him.

They've not gritted anywhere today (atleast from 12 onwards)

I can't remember what council it was but someone on the radio today was saying that they have already used up the amount of grit they would expect to use during the winter which is, in fact, around 30% more than they have used over the last 2 or 3 winters.

Birkenhead Tunnel now open and operating normally



POLICE have reopened lanes in both directions on the Birkenhead Tunnel.

Earlier, the Liverpool to Birkenhead lanes were closed to allow congestion blacklog in the town centre, caused by heavy snowfall, to clear.

i had to help a british gas driver how to get up a hill, they just dont realise you need to be in the highest gear possible!

belive it was liverpool

just taken me 3 hours to get from bromborough to Upton.

half the problem is thatother people dont know how to drive on the ice

been up to see my car in woodchurch road,it,s ok so far but still a mad house up there..at 6.30pm.

OMG!

i've just spent over 4 hours walking from carlett park to home. that was a mission and a half.

4WD, snow problem at all

It took me two and a half hours to get home from Laird street. Glad to be back home, there where some right idiots out there on the road. Many where driving too close. One woman was behind me going up Upton road in start stop traffic. Every time we all pulled off really carefully she must have been hitting the rev limiter. Her 1.2 Corsa engine was screaming and the car was sliding all over the road. Me and the apprentice where in hysterics until I realised she would still be behind me on the way back down so when the road levelled out and the traffic was going free I pulled over ,let her past and went along behind the mad cow.

i was shocked today at how many people were driving like Grrrs

had to leave car in oxton. roads like ice rink cars skidding everywhere .walking up wilmer road loads of residents out helping cars up hill digging out trenches so wheels could get agrip well done

Gritter finally gone up our road!! 'Bout bloody time too!!

I am too amazed at the revs some people were pulling, don't people realise how to drive?? And the IDIOT on a bike who went screeching in and out of traffic before, well i hope he made it home alive!!

According to HA website, traffic on M53 is still averaging only 40 - 50 mph

http://www.trafficengland.com/motorwayflow.aspx

You think thats bad, Stuey who works for me left his last job in Liverpool at 2.30 today, he lives in Flint and is still trying to get home,its now 7.30!!
Hes just txted me to say he is about 2 1/2 miles from home and all roads shut off!!!!
Bloody stupid out there!!!

took me 3hours from the prenton North Cheshire Trading Estate , left work at 13:50 and got home at 16.50,

I wish people would just use the clutch to move off and let the engine do the work on tick over I had no problems with wheel spinning but people on woodchurch road were all over the show, and when coming to a stop again let the engine while in gear do most of the work while cressing the brake pedal very very light the amount of people using there brakes like it was dry conditions was unreal.

it's not hard to adjust your driving to a few inches of snow, I would take note for tomorrow morning as these few simple tips will prevent people righting there cars off

I have to be honest - not looking forward to the morning trip to Warrington

Laird street was awful this afternoon.

Im going there myself, but apparently trains were running only with a little delay to Warrington, just getting to and from the station. But I love walking in snow.




Snow angels are the best!!

Not the most angelic......

My oppo in work took 3 hours to get from Conway Street by Europa Pools to home in Greasby. The missus took an hour and a half to get to Wallasey from Neston on the motorway and another guy from work who lives other side of Manchester just texted me to say he got home after 8 hours!

I was watching a gritter doing Oxton Road tonight, just after midnight. The amount it was spreading was very nominal, it was only about a spadefull coming down the chute every 20 yards. It passed within 4 ft of me and I didn't even get hit, thought he had switched it off as he passed me, but it carried on with its spartan output all the way down the road..

Maybe they are running low and just hoping to do enough to make things a bit safer?

Just been out and warmedd the car up nice and hot, removed all the snow from it etc, as I have not used it for a few days and was literally "snowed under".

The car is reading 0.00 degrees so its not as cold as it has been. I was worried it was going to get colder and the snow on my car was going to turn to ice, not good if I need to be somewhere quick lol.

I hope it dont snow again now

Stu got home at 10.00pm last nite, 7 hours took from Liverpool city centre to Flint!!!!

I heard on the radio on the way back from work a spokesperson from Miseryrail praising their service as they were still running while everywhere was gridlocked...whoop de fecking do, it must have only been yesterday the shambles of a service was working.. But then compared to gridlocked cars a train travelling at 5 mph is an improvement. Every 5 minutes on 96.7fm saying merseyrail were running fine, people from mirseyrail rubbing salt in the wound saying cars are not moving and no buses...hop on our 1940's replica electric shuttle cars and travel home fast. Unfortunately this freak of weather does not happen everyday and as I got the train this morning mine was delayed..que sera sera
rant over

The ferries are on although i must say the carpark isnt full.

Was out the car a couple of hours ago, was -4.5 degrees lol, but by the time I went in 20 mins later, it was -3.5.

-16 up near Manchester !!!!!

After taking nearly 2 hours to get into Stockport on Tuesday, I left Early to get back to Wirral. As it happened I sailed home even stopping at Preston Brook for a photo or two



So I thought I know, I'll pop over to Liverpool. I got into town at 2 pm just as the big snow hit. Oh Sh!T it thought! I got to the Pier head and thought Time to go.....It took me another 7 hours to get out of Liverpool!







I could see the tunnel but the police closed the road and sent us on a 4 hour detour. Sod that I headed for Runcorn and out.


What amazed me was how bad peoples driving was. Too many heavy right feet meaning cars were blocking even the slightest hill. Merc and beamers with auto boxes made me chuckle. They sat at the lights with their foot on the brake leaving the rear wheels spinning on the spot then wondered why they couldn't move when the lights went green. Taxi drivers trying to charge through lines of traffic.

In the end rules of the road went to pot people ignored red lights, used bus lanes, ignored no entry signs. Its no surprise the city ground to a halt. I got onto edge lane at 7.30 ish and was the only car heading out of town. From then on I was fine. Runcorn Bridge was clear as was the M56.

I stayed home yesterday, Brimstage Rd in Heswall wasn't gritted and is like glass now. I saw a gritted on Storeton Hill, But they can't grit the main route from Clatterbridge to Heswall (which was also the councils defined HGV route for Netto).

This morning Heswall was -10, and Manchester Airport -12.

RANT OVER!

You got some cracking photos though

Yeah I agree nice pics!! especially like the central bollard one lit up. Have you made the background black and white??

Thanks, Scant consilation mind..I have a few others I may stick up tonight.

The bollard is edited yes. Using Photoshop elements I selectively removed the colour from everything but the bollard.

SNOW: Police warn Wirral public to take care after borough wakes up to more snow




POLICE are warning the Wirral public to take extra care if they go out today after more snow fell overnight.

Some parts of the peninsula saw up to 4cms of snow last night.

Schools are open as normal, according to Wirral Council, who will be keeping the situation under constant review throughout today.

Merseytravel says buses, trains and ferries are runiing normally.

While the fall has been light in most places this can prove to be deceptively hazardous in already freezing temperatures, especially when it disguises existing ice patches.

Motorists are advised to be especially cautious while driving and for pedestrians to be mindful of icy pavements.

Chief Superintendent John Martin said: "I would urge people not to be complacent. The roads and pavements may appear to have cleared up in the past few days but this fresh covering of snow will mask the patches of ice that are still around which can make conditions hazardous still.

"There is still significant potential for ice on the roads and pavements so people should continue to travel with the care that they have been doing.

"Motorists should use their common sense and reduce their speed to ensure they drive safely in these conditions.

"It can take 10 times longer to stop on an icy road than on a dry road, so people need to keep this in mind.

"Drivers should leave plenty of room between them and the car in front, drive slower than usual and use their gears to slow down where possible rather than their brakes, pay attention to the road traffic signs on the motorways and listen to local radio stations for regular traffic updates.

"Although local authorities will be gritting the main routes it is likely that the situation on the roads, particularly side streets, will remain icy over the next couple of days."

People are also being urged to check on the welfare of family, friends and neighbours, particularly those that are vulnerable or elderly, while this cold snap continues.
Chf Supt Martin added: "With the pavements continuing to be very icy we would ask for people to be Good Samaritans and consider any vulnerable family, friends and neighbours at this time to check they are not running out of staple foods and other essential items."

There will be more updates on the Wiki throughout the day.




THE GLOBE

Snow's started to get heavier in Stockport Whats it like in the Wirral?

Just fine powdery snow.

Chhers, No issues then ATM!

Its not heavy ATM - roads seem to be staying clear, well wet, rather than slushing up.

Thanks Snooze!

Roads are clear thanks to grit, haven't experienced any problems. It's quite nice actually!

I have, in the past few days, seen Highways Agency/Motorway Maintenance clearing public pavements with spades etc on 3 seperate occasions. So for all those who are moaning, stop right there, they are doing the best they can.

Yeah! You tell em Matt

When its to late.