Unexpected Heavy Snow Causes Major Problems Overnight

There were firm expectations of snow to return to the area yesterday evening as a weather band moved across from the West however the snow that hit was more serious than expected.

After initial flurries in the early evening a major snowfall event of over 3 inches in the space of two hours took place from around 7pm onwards. This snowfall was predicted to be rain however due to lower temperatures it fell as snow. By 1:30am temperatures rose, and light rain helped start melt the snow. (Pic above of St Giles link road as of about 10pm by @wxmmoz)

Drivers were pulling over on the A483 Wrexham bypass as all lanes were covered in snow. On Gresford Hill later in the evening members of the public were organising cars trying to help those most able to drive up it to take priority. Due to a jackknifed lorry there were even worse tailbacks with traffic at a full standstill, with one person reporting ‘groups of people out walking between cars’. Another reported that they had been stationary for over an hour and a half. There were similar reports from the A541 Mold Road, where twelve cars were stuck in snow.

Police were called to the incident on the A483 however due to conditions were not able to attend. One person told us “We rang 101 and the police said ‘they are doing there best’ but did not show.”

There were reports of abandoned cars throughout the area on local roads and major routes such as the A483, A55 and M56, and we have spotted several parked up on side roads.

GHA Coaches stopped their services as the roads were ‘too dangerous’, and roads in and around town became impassable inside an hour. Arriva buses said in the early evening “Due to worsening weather conditions, all Wrexham services are being stopped for the evening”. Trains though appeared to be running fine.

Kathryn Davis said “Avoid Croeshowell hill on Llay Road. Cars unable to get up it and sliding down!”, advice that was mirrored in and around the Wrexham area.

Lights were reportedly flickering in New Broughton, Coedpoeth with a full power cut in Bwlchgwyn. Erbistock also lost power just after midnight.

‘JB’ from Garden Village said at 8:35pm “Garden village has just come under a fairly hefty blizzard, snowflakes the size of 50ps. Visibility is fairly good and the main road(Chester Road) although covering up rapidly are fairly clear of traffic. Side streets and pavements especially are very icy and hazardous.”

He also sent this picture in of the conditions on Chester Road by Garden Village shops:

This video was sent in of the situation in Hightown:

Tweets to our @wrexham twitter account from people around Wrexham, latest at the bottom: