Snow and Ice Cause School Closures and Rail Service Delays

Heavy snowfall on Thursday has led to ongoing disruption in areas of Devon and Cornwall. On Friday, several schools are closed, and train services have been cancelled. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice for parts of the region, effective until 10:00 GMT on Friday. The agency cautioned about “difficult travelling conditions” and indicated that wintry showers were “likely”. Devon County Council informed BBC Radio Devon that its gritters were deployed at 03:00 GMT, but cautioned that roads might stay icy throughout much of Friday morning. Jen Murphy, from Devon County Council’s Highways Control Centre, stated: “Please remember ice can form on even treated roads.” She added: “One of the things I’d like people to bear in mind is that roads can look clearer than they were yesterday but you need to still expect them to be slippy for most of the morning.” Cormac, a company affiliated with Cornwall Council, indicated that conditions on Friday were not expected to present “too much of a problem.” Steve Bailey, a network manager, explained: “We were out treating the roads last night at 03:00 GMT so each route would have finished at about 06:00.” He continued: “Looking at the temperatures and the road surface temperatures, they’re actually picking up now. “There certainly is some ice risk out there now so people should be careful but it is warming up now so I don’t expect there to be too much of a problem today.”” A lorry driver reported being stranded on the A30 near Okehampton, specifically at Belstone Services, for approximately 14 hours because of the snow. Devon County Council announced that Southbrook School near Exeter, Honiton Community College, and Mill Water School near Budleigh Salterton would be closed for the day due to the threat of ice. Cornwall Council stated that Bugle school near St Austell would postpone its opening until 10:00. Great Western Railway has issued a warning regarding service disruptions caused by the weather. The company posted on X that the railway line connecting Crediton and Okehampton was blocked. It also advised of service cancellations between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton, travelling via Crediton. National Rail Western reported that over 70 trees, which fell during the snowfall, have been removed from the train tracks. In a separate post on X, it was stated: “Heavy snow means that no trains are able to run to Barnstaple until noon, or Okehampton until 16:00 GMT.” Chris Lucas, 48, who had travelled to Cornwall, told Radio Devon that he accessed the A30 around 06:20 GMT on Thursday. He mentioned that a snow-covered hill led to delays, and he reached his home at approximately 18:15 GMT. Lucas commented: “People were so desperate to get home, they were trying to get up the hill and were getting stressed.” The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth confirmed that measures were taken to ensure its donkeys were equipped to endure the cold weather. A spokesperson for the sanctuary stated: “Making sure they have adequate shelter, hardstanding and plenty of dry hay, is very important to keep them healthy and well during winter.”