The Met Office said the cold snap would worsen over the coming days Scotland’s environment minister said the country was prepared for an “icy blast”, after forecasters warned snow and ice would hit some areas overnight.
Severe weather warnings are in place across parts of northern and eastern Scotland, and snow is expected in Grampian, the Borders, East Lothian, the Highlands and Angus.
Roseanna Cunningham said authorities had planned well ahead, following last year’s severe winter in Scotland.
The minister said lessons were learned.
“The Scottish government, councils and other key services across Scotland pulled together last year to deal successfully with the coldest winter since 1914,” she said.
“This year we are confident that we have planned well ahead, with councils reporting record levels of salt supplies and schools putting new closure alert systems in place for parents.”
A number of roads and schools were closed in Aberdeenshire on Wednesday because of the conditions, and dozens of gritters were deployed.
The Met Office forecast the cold snap to worsen over the coming days.
It said up to 20cm of snow could land on the Grampian Mountains by the end of Thursday and widespread ice would form on untreated surfaces. Drivers have been urged to take care.
Chief forecaster Andy Page said: “There is no doubt that the UK will see much colder conditions by the end of the week.
“Snow will also be a risk for many, and the public are advised to stay up-to-date with the forecast to make sure they have the latest information.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.