Heavy snow is falling in Exeter. It has blanketed Exeter Cathedral's Christmas Market.

Image source, Harry Medway

People across Devon and Cornwall have woken to a blanket of snow in parts.

Devon and Cornwall Police has advised drivers to check the weather before travelling, adding it had received numerous calls from motorists involved in collisions.

The force's roads and policing team said the "majority" of roads across the two counties were covered in "snow and ice".

More than 100 schools have shut across the region, with one resident claiming a school bus has been abandoned near Exeter due to the weather.

BBC senior weather reported David Braine said the snow has been heavier and more widespread than forecast.

"The Met Office has extended the area covered by the snow warning and increased the forecast amount to 10-15cm," he said.

Image source, Sam Uglow

Steve Bayley, network manager for Cornwall Highways, said gritters were deployed this morning.

"We expected cold temperatures overnight so we were treating overnight, then we got a fair amount of snow this morning so we went out again," he said.

Speaking to Radio Devon, Jen Murphy from Devon County Council's highways control said the worst of the problems were on Dartmoor.

"However, it is very widespread," she added.

Image source, TomT

One woman told BBC Radio Devon a school bus had become trapped in the snow.

Chloe, from Upton Pyne, near Exeter, said: "Basically, it got stuck and it just had to park up. It is still here.

"The driver is not in it, I think someone came to pick him up."

David Braine
Senior weather presenter

This morning's snow was heavier and more widespread than forecast, with a fine line between rain/sleet and snow being perhaps only one degree or so in temperature difference.

Any higher ground seems to have had sleet or snow this morning and the met office have extended the area covered by the snow warning and increased the forecast amount to 10-15cm.

In some areas we have already had this amount.

Kirk England
Environment & Tourism Correspondent, BBC South West

There may be several inches of snow on the ground in Exbourne but residents in the West Devon village are still having their rubbish collected.

“We’re just taking it steady and we’re still managing to get around,” said Johnathan Mann, from the local council’s Waste and Recycling Team.

He added it was very quiet on the roads with “lots of cars abandoned at the side of the road all over the place”.

Image source, Johnathan Mann

Residents living in Sidmouth have been treated to a blanket of snow.

Image source, Devonjackie

BBC Devon reporter Richard Green, who is on the M5 motorway overbridge at Sandy Park in Exeter, says more snow is falling there.

"There is another wave of snow coming down here in east devon at the moment.

"The motorway is passable, but the outside lane is almost covered in snow and the other lanes are tracked with slushy snow.

"The M5 motorway is starting to get covered, I haven't seen any salt and grit vans.

"The A30 is slow but moving but there are big queues of people trying to get in to Exeter."

"It’s awfully cold and the wind is absolutely biting," Andy in Bodmin told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"It is snowing significantly, it’s not going to take long to get a depth going.”

He added: “When they say snow for Cornwall you always take it with a pinch of salt as you don’t know how its going to develop.

“I said to my wife last night if it does meet that cold air, then it’s going to be nasty and obviously it has.”

In a post on X, Devon and Cornwall Police said it had received numerous calls, external from motorists who have been involved in collisions due to the weather conditions.

The force has urged drivers to check the weather before travelling.

Image source, Gilly Gabben

People from across Cornwall have been talking to the BBC about what the snow is like where they are.

David in Trewint told BBC Radio Cornwall the snow fall was "really heavy and thick".

"If I were to put my tape measure on my fence, I would say its coming up six maybe seven inches," he said.

"I've never seen it like this, not in November anyway, it's really strange, it hasn't stopped...

"It's really coming down heavy and thick.

"There are no cars on the roads, nothing is moving."

A pet owner in Throwleigh, near Dartmoor in Devon, has braved the snowy conditions to walk their two dogs.

Image source, Whiddon down Womble

Ian Cobham, who runs Dartmoor Brewery, said there was about "four or five inches of snow".

"It's very beautiful," told BBC Radio Devon.

"But there's not much moving. The only thing moving is 4X4s.

"None of the roads are gritted up here, you can't go anywhere."

Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist

Snow has been falling steadily over Exmoor and Dartmoor through this morning, but with a pulse of heavier precipitation, that snow turned heavier and fell to lower ground too.

While 10 to 15cm is expected over the Moors, as we’ve seen in some parts, there’s been a few centimetres at lower elevations as well.

The mixture of rain, sleet and snow will continue through this morning although will become more confined to the higher ground later on as it starts to ease away to the south.

Jen Murphy, from Devon County Council's highways control, has urged people to "be prepared".

"Even if it's fine where you are at the minute, please make sure you're prepared," she said.

"As the morning progresses we are seeing more and more of our road surface temperatures drop below zero and we're seeing more and more snow accumulating."

Ms Murphy has advised motorists to drive to the conditions and stick to main routes.

More than 100 schools across Devon and Cornwall are now either closed, partially closed or opening later this morning.

In Devon more than 50 schools, external have been affected and in Cornwall, external it is a similar number.

People in Crediton have awoken to blankets of white snow.

Image source, Mike Vinnicombe

One woman told the BBC how she has been stuck on the A30 for more than three hours.

Lucie Liddel said: "I was heading towards Okehampton at 05:30 GMT and we got to the A30, just before Bodmin.

"Even before the airport it is gridlocked with traffic. Putting it mildly, the lorries could not get up the hill and it's still gridlocked.

"The police have now been called and they're trying to get the gritters through.

"At the moment there is about half a foot of snow and it is coming down really thick. It's been coming down since 05:15.

"The lorries are slipping. They've actually pulled over because they can't get through."

Snow and ice has covered "the majority of roads", external in both Devon and Cornwall, police say.

Devon and Cornwall Roads Policing Team is warning drivers to only travel is "absolutely necessary".