Drivers are facing difficult road conditions with snow falling across parts of the country and weather warnings in place.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow across most of Scotland which is valid until 10pm on Monday, warning of “significant” snowfall on higher routes.
Transport Scotland said there may be disruption to travel during rush-hour, particularly in the Central Belt.
#Rain will turn to #snow tonight and through Monday across northern areas of the UK
— Met Office (@metoffice) February 23, 2020
Yellow snow warnings will soon come into effect, here are the details:
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/j9wnAfK9wZ
Snow has been falling on routes including the A7 at Mosspaul and A75 at Gretna, while the A78, A702 and M8 are also affected.
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “We are being advised by the Met Office to expect significant amounts of snowfall across much of Scotland overnight and into Monday morning, in particular in the Central Belt during rush-hour, so there is potential for people’s journeys to be disrupted.
Looks like we'll have awful conditions on the higher parts of the A93, A9 and the A95 for a time this morning and afternoon with heavy snow and as much as 20cm in some spots. Expect snow gate closures. pic.twitter.com/vNGHmCaj4y
— Sean Batty (@SeanBattyTV) February 24, 2020
“As always, we ask that people check for the very latest information before heading off on their journeys, drive to the conditions and follow any Police Scotland travel advice.
Extra care required on the roads if your are out and about today. Below is a photo of the A928 linking Glamis and the A90 this morning. pic.twitter.com/d2McYVwBc2
— Police Scotland Tayside (@PSOSTayside) February 24, 2020
“People can check Traffic Scotland’s travel service which will give details of what’s happening on the trunk road network, allowing them to plan ahead as necessary.
“Other modes of transport – ferries, trains and flights – may also be disrupted, so we ask people to check with their operators before setting out.”
Forecasters warn that the snow may cause travel delays on roads and leave some vehicles stranded, while there may also be delays or cancellations to rail and air travel.
The Met Office warning states: “Across the south of the warning area, snow may turn to rain during the afternoon, but further north, and especially on higher routes above 200m, significant accumulations of snow may occur during the afternoon and evening.
“Here, 2 to 5cm snow is likely above 100 to 200m, whilst above 300m 10 to 20cm snow may build up.”
It comes after falling ice and snow forced the closure of the Queensferry Crossing for the first time earlier this month.
Operator Amey shut the £1.35bn bridge over the Forth on the night of Monday February 10 amid severe weather and concerns for safety.
A snowy picture across the higher routes this morning. The gritters & tractors will remain out through the morning patrolling & treating where required. Please slow down & drive to the ever changing conditions. For the latest Trunk Road info follow @trafficscotland #winter pic.twitter.com/H1y6ZkLkTK
— BEAR SE Trunk Roads (@SETrunkRoads) February 24, 2020
Up to eight vehicles were damaged as a result of the ice falls.
It was deemed the bridge was safe to reopen at 10.45am on Wednesday February 12.
Inspector Greg Dinnie, from Police Scotland, said: “We are advising motorists who will be travelling in the areas affected by the weather warning to travel with caution; potential snow and disruption is expected, particularly on higher ground.
“Be prepared to slow down and drive at speeds that are appropriate for the conditions. Plan your journey in advance, allow extra time and make sure that your vehicle is adequately prepared.
“You can keep up to date with weather and road information by following the Met Office and Transport Scotland on social media.”
STV’s meteorologist Sean Batty said: “There was the potential for a big storm to develop for Monday, but the low pressure system didn’t explosively deepen as indicated by some forecast models late last week.
Storm that was being touted by some computer models for Monday has not undergone the dramatic deepening it could have done. This means winds will not be an issue, although stronger for time Fife & Lothian coast. Snow could now be the problem during AM central & southern Scotland. pic.twitter.com/ijNIU8Cpc0
— Sean Batty (@SeanBattyTV) February 23, 2020
“That of course is good news for us as it means we don’t need to worry about strong winds, however it will be windier for a time around the Stranraer area in the south west and along the Borders, East Lothian, Fife and Angus coast for a time during the morning and early afternoon, although nothing major.
“While winds are not an issue, for a change, what may be more of a problem is snowfall.
“It’s a marginal situation for low levels and these situations can be very tricky to get right, although there is the risk that lying snow may settle down to low levels, including the central belt during Monday morning and fall during the sensitive morning travel period. This therefore has the potential to lead to some travel disruption during the morning and into the afternoon.”