Dozens of schools close as temperatures plunge to -14C amid heavy snow and ice

Temperatures have plunged to below -14C and a severe snow and ice warning remains in place across the north and southeastern Scotland with dozens of schools closed for the fifth day in a row.

The yellow warning, which expired at 10am on Friday, covers much of western and northern Scotland, including Grampian, the Highlands, Orkney, and Shetland.

Another alert was also in place until 10am, covering East Lothian and the Scottish borders.

In the Highlands, more than 50 primary and secondary schools were closed as well as nearly 30 nurseries.

In Aberdeenshire, 13 schools were closed with a number delaying opening time and school transports cancelled due to poor road conditions.

In Altnaharra, the lowest temperature in the UK was recorded at -14.4C, and -12.5C in Kinbrace in Sutherland while both Loch Glascarnoch and Drumnadrochit experienced lows of -11.9C and 11.1C.

Glasgow was the coldest city in Scotland on Friday morning, with temperatures of around -6C in the city centre and -7C near Glasgow Airport, according to STV News Meteorologist Sean Batty.

The Met Office forecast reads: “Sleet and snow showers will continue for the rest of Thursday, dying out by across northwest Scotland overnight but persisting across northeast Scotland until Friday morning.

“Further accumulations of 1-4 cm are expected to low levels away from coasts with 5-10 cm possible above 150 metres. Where any modest daytime thaw has occurred, icy stretches are likely on untreated surfaces.”

It comes after more than 150 schools and nurseries closed across the north of Scotland on Thursday.

Temperatures plummeted further on Thursday night, with the lowest official temperature on Thursday night being -12.4C in Tulloch Bridge.

Bear Scotland confirmed dozens of gritters were out treating routes with tens of patrol vehicles monitoring overnight.

Network Rail said on X: “An even colder start to the day on Scotland’s Railway. We currently see temperatures down at -12 on the Far North Line and -10 on the West Highland Line.”

The operator said Scotland’s rail network would be closely monitored as travel disruption is expected.

ScotRail added: “With sub-zero temperatures again this morning in many places, please be careful of icy patches at our stations. We’re gritting key areas to keep you safe.”

Insight Sean Batty Meteorologist

The first few weeks of January are, on average, traditionally Scotland’s coldest, and this year has been no exception. Temperatures have plunged into double digits below freezing in some areas.

On Wednesday, the Met Office’s official weather station at Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands recorded a low of -12.4°C, with Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway not far behind at -10.8°C. Beyond the official readings, personal weather stations in areas like Biggar, Thankerton, and Carstairs reported similar lows of -10°C to -12°C around sunrise this morning.

The most favorable conditions for extreme cold will be in the north and west Highlands, where winds will drop and skies will clear later in the night.

Over the past few days I’ve experienced heavy snow in parts of Moray and the north Highlands. However, snow showers will gradually ease on Friday, though icy conditions will persist into the weekend.

After this cold snap, temperatures are set to rebound dramatically. By Monday, parts of Scotland could reach a comparatively balmy 12°C, bringing wetter conditions along with the thaw.

Looking further ahead, it seems Scotland will remain under a predominantly south to southwesterly airflow, keeping temperatures milder through next week and possibly beyond.

Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country