8:35am Monday 21st December 2009
COMMUTERS travelling in to Bolton and out of the town into Manchester are feeling the pain this morning as the snow causes road chaos.
Incidents are being reported across the region, with traffic on the M60 just recovering from hold-ups caused by an accident earlier.
The M6 has been thrown into chaos, just north of its junction with the M61, with only one lane open due to heavy snow, so anyone travelling in the direction of the Bolton West Service stations and heading north will have problems.
Experts are warning there could be snow across the North West on Christmas Day following wintry weather of recent days.
Delighted children took to their sledges yesterday morning. But there was less delight for motorists, who were left to inch along slushy roads, while in some areas traffic came to a temporary standstill following snow flurries.
Cars and buses slowed to less than 20mph on main roads across the town due to the icy conditions.
And many people planning to travel out of town for the Christmas holidays were stranded when flights into and out of Manchester Airport were put on hold as runways were being cleared of snow and ice.
With further snowfall expected, an airport spokes man said: “If you are travelling at the moment, or if you are looking to travel over the next few days, make sure you check the website and some of the departure boards for more information.”
But it was good news for youngsters and families who flocked to parks in sledges and wellies.
And in what is the busiest weekend of the year for traders, plenty braved the weather to get their Christmas gifts from shopping centres such as Middlebrook, while stores in Bolton town centre also reported a brisk trade.
Festive fairies, Sugar and Plum, entertained Christmas shoppers braving the freezing conditions in Victoria Square.
The Met Office has predicted further snow showers in the north today and tomorrow, prolonged in some places. Wednesday and Thursday are set to be bright, but with temperatures below freezing.
Michael Dukes, forecast manager for MeteoGroup UK, said it was not yet possible to predict what would happen on Christmas Day.
He said: “The cold spell is going to last until next week.
“The big question is whether it’s going to finish before Christmas. If you are betting on a white Christmas I still can’t advise you — we really don’t know.”
The last official white Christmas was five years ago.
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