08 February 2021

Further yellow warning of frequent snow showers through to Wednesday

With the Met Office issuing a further yellow warning of frequent snow showers through to Wednesday and with very cold temperatures and more snow forecast to continue through to the weekend and into next week, it’s certainly going to be another challenging few days for road users and the council’s gritting crews.

With strong winds and severe drifting continuing, it has been impossible to open up the very high level routes most affected by the conditions such as the Lecht, Glenshee and the Cairn O’Mount. 

The council’s winter team is constantly monitoring weather forecasts and wind speeds and will deploy our 3 snow blowers into these routes as soon as conditions improve. 

In the meantime, our snow blowers have been continuing today to open the B9002 near Auchindoir, other minor roads in the Strathdon/Glenbuchat area and we continue to use a snow blower to clear the main streets in Ballater, before moving onto Breamar. 

We have also been lifting snow on the main roads through Alford and this will continue in Rhynie and Lumsden tomorrow. 

We have been able to open up the A941 from Rhynie to the Moray boundary, but the Moray side remains impassable with 10 feet drifts in places through the Cabrach. 

The following roads therefore remain closed due to drifting and are unlikely to be reopened for at least several days:

A93 Glenshee (at snow gates) - A939 Lecht (at snow gates) - A939 Gairnshiel to Colnabaichin - A941 Cabrach (on Moray side) - B9002 Craig – Elrick (Cabrach) - B974 Cairn O’Mount (at snow gates) - B976 Crathie to Gairnshiel

Many other minor roads in the Marr and in the Banff & Buchan areas remain severely affected by snow and drifting and may become impassable at short notice or passable only with extreme care. 

Road users are therefore asked to give careful consideration as to whether their journey is essential, and plan and prepare well for any journeys they must make.

Motorists and pedestrians are asked to be patient as we continue to clear the road and footway network on a priority basis. 

In addition, road users are also being asked to avoid the areas that have been worst affected and show more consideration when parking vehicles at the roadside in places where normal parking areas are inaccessible. 

Snow crews have been impeded by poorly parked vehicles in urban areas and in rural areas such as the A941 at Clashindarroch and on the B976 at Glen Muick.