BRISTOL is facing a weekend of snow and ice as the cold snap continues.

Up to 3cm of snow was forecast to fall later today, but it was expected to turn to rain before temperatures drop and leave Bristolians to wake up to ice tomorrow morning.

The latest bitterly cold conditions come after the Met Office raised fears for the elderly and ill by issuing its first country-wide Level 3 Cold Weather Alert of the winter.

The alert, which is the second most serious, is tied in to the Government's Cold Weather Plan and are relayed to organisations such as Age UK, which help the elderly through winter.

A new fleet of 11 snowploughs and gritters bought by South Gloucestershire Council has been prepared for the predicted snow.

Council head of street care Mark King, who is one of those who gets behind the wheel of a snowplough when needed, said: "The procedure we follow is to pre-salt roads as soon as icy conditions are forecast and then return to plough if the snow begins to settle. At the same time, we re-salt the roads to make sure they remain safe."

Before winter arrived, the council stockpiled 6,000 tonnes of salt – enough for the entire winter.

MeteoGroup forecaster Paul Mott said any snow which fell during the day would probably melt by the evening, with icy conditions likely.

He said tomorrow would be mainly dry during the day, with rain and maybe sleet arriving in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to plunge again on Tuesday.