Bristol returns normal after week of snow

Bristol is set to return to normality after a week of disruption caused by the heavy snow which saw hundreds of schools closed and millions of pounds lost in business.

Friday saw several inches covering the area, followed by plummeting temperatures at the weekend and the forecasters said there could be more this week.

But the frozen landscape is now expected to thaw.

Snow remained in many areas through Saturday and Sunday giving people more time to enjoy the coldest winter in 20 years.

People from around the area made the best of conditions by sledging, building snowmen or creating ice sculptures.

But freezing conditions turned many roads into ice rinks as the melting snow left them in a treacherous state on Saturday.

Side roads were the most severely affected but there were also problems on the motorways, with only two lanes open on stretches of the M4 and M5 for much of Saturday.

Police closed Redcatch Road in Knowle to traffic due to ice on Saturday, with police tape at St John's Lane and Park Avenue to prevent motorists from risking the slippery conditions. The road was open again by mid afternoon.

The ambulance service in Bristol reported lots of calls overnight Friday into Saturday, with more falls and crashes than normal.

Spokesman for Great Western Ambulance Service, John Oliver, said despite the difficult conditions, crews had managed to respond to all calls.

The wintry weather meant target response times were longer, so ambulances could make their way through safely.

Both Severn bridges were reopened by Saturday evening, but drivers out early on Saturday on the M5 found lane three closed in both directions between junction 16 at Aztec West and junction 25, Taunton.

There were also two lanes open between Falfield, near Thornbury, and Stroud.

Similar problems affected the M4 from junction 18 at Tormarton into Wiltshire, and accidents caused further delays with just one lane being open between Chippenham and Swindon.

Bus operator First said it worked hard to run buses wherever possible, with some routes covered as normal while other services were cancelled or scaled back due to the road conditions.

The situation was being reassessed throughout the day but is expected to return to normal today.

At Bristol International Airport, a full schedule was running but passengers were warned there could be delays as it dealt with the aftermath of problems on Friday when flights were cancelled.

Bristol City Council said major roads had been salted and were running relatively well but minor roads remained hazardous at the weekend.

Spokesman Simon Caplan said: "Bristol's main roads were salted between 6pm through to 10pm on Friday night and again from about 4am to 7am on Saturday morning."

Bin men were unable to get out to clear the backlog of rubbish in the city but hoped to resume collections this week.

Household waste and recycling centres in Avonmouth and St Philip's were open as usual, along with leisure centres and pools.

Mr Caplan said there had been delays in getting home care and meals on wheels to people who lived in the worst-affected areas but determined staff were walking where necessary to reach those who relied on the services.

Firefighters were called to help motorists struggling on the ice, including a driver whose Jaguar started to slip down a hill between Clifton and Hotwells.

The man was parking in steep Ambra Vale just before 1am on Saturday and could not get the car close to the kerb as it kept slipping.

He called firefighters, who walked up the hill and put salt down so the car could be parked safely.

Crews were called to Charborough Road in Filton at 10.45pm on Friday when a car slipped on ice and went into a garden wall, but no one was hurt.

Two women whose car slid down a hill due to icy conditions were also put back on the road by Avon Fire and Rescue. The pair, in their early 20s, were struggling in their VW Polo just before 1am on Sunday morning.

They were trying to drive up the steep Elm Lane but found themselves sliding backwards as the handbrake wouldn't work.

Firefighters used shovels to chip away at ice underneath the car to provide traction, and then helped push start the car to get it back on the road.

On the railways there was a train fault on the Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach line, leading to a limited service.

But the weather did not stop shoppers from turning out in force in the city centre.

As the snow and ice melted on Saturday, Cabot Circus and Broadmead filled with shoppers.

Warnings about icy roads and the suspension of some early bus services did not deter people and it was business as usual in stores.

Apart from the melting snow on pavements and the domed roof of Cabot Circus – and several shoppers in wellies – there was little sign of the chaos that had been caused by days of wintry weather.

Rob Balderstone, 18, from Compton Martin, and friends Jonathan Cooke, Catriona Ross and Becky Montacute, drove into the city to shop for a holiday to snowy destinations next week, booked before the latest cold spell.

Rob, a sixth-form student at Chew Valley School, said: "We set off at about 10am and the Chew Valley roads were fairly icy and covered in snow and we had to stop a few times, but as soon as we reached the A38 it was fine.

"I would not have come out in Friday's weather.

"When school was cancelled, we went sledging."

Mike and Viv Bryan had made their way from Swindon to buy some birthday presents for their daughter Jaye, soon-to-be two.

Mike, 46, who used to live in Whitchurch, said: "We left about 10.30am and it was no problem at all, although I wouldn't have done it on Thursday and Friday. We were really snowbound and stayed in. Most of my work is in Bristol, repairing scratches and dents on cars but my van stayed on my drive.

"We took Jaye out to enjoy her first snow in the park instead."

Dan Triscott, 20, walked to Broadmead from his Cliton home on Saturday. He said: "It seems to have melted quite a lot and I had no problems walking in."