Police declare a major emergency as both carriageways were blocked from late on Thursday.

David Fenton
Health Correspondent, BBC South

Hospitals have been struggling to keep services running.

More appointments are being cancelled, off-duty staff being called in, and volunteer 4x4 drivers used to to help with patient transport.

At Southampton General 100 workers slept overnight in a "makeshift bunker" at the education centre to make sure they were available for work today.

The Royal Bournemouth Hospital provided hundreds of blankets and sheets for stranded drivers on the A31.

And the chief nurse for hospitals in Basingstoke and Winchester appealed to off-duty staff to come into work to help keep services running.

Urea, the colourless compound in urine, has been used to de-ice pavements in a town centre.

Reading Borough Council said its Highways Team was "well stocked" with urea in advance of heavy snowfall.

The council told the BBC the team had been out using the crystalline compound this morning, but admitted it hadn't worked as well as grit and salt due to the subzero temperatures.

The urea used is created in laboratories, not lavatories to clarify.

NOTE: We do not recommend people use their own urea to de-ice their streets.

Councils across Dorset have confirmed vehicles abandoned as a result of the snow and ice will not receive parking fines.

The authorities have urged motorists to collect their vehicles only when it is safe to do so.

Marwell Zoo in Hampshire have spent the morning snapping some of their animals in the snow. Take a look!

Image source, Marwell Zoo

Image source, Marwell Zoo

Image source, Marwell Zoo

Ashleigh Fair, 19, was seen leaving a Reading hospital in blizzard conditions without shoes.

Around 500 homes and businesses in the Hook and Odiham area are without power.

Just over a thousand properties were affected initially after the blackout at about 7:00 GMT.

Southern Electricity says it's because of a fault with the overhead network.

Power is expected back on around 13:00 this afternoon.

Adam Williams
BBC Sport

Image source, Aldershot Town FC

Sporting fixtures across the South this weekend are being severely affected by the weather.

Aldershot Town's scheduled National League match at home against Hartlepool United due to take place on Saturday is the latest match to be postponed.

The pitch at the EBB Stadium is playable despite the snow on the covers in the picture above, but the decision has been taken with supporter safety in mind.

It's been rescheduled for Tuesday with a 19:45 GMT kick-off.

Here's a list of all the football fixtures involving our local sides that have also been postponed on Saturday:

League One:

Bradford City v Portsmouth

Oxford United v Fleetwood

National League:

Aldershot Town v Hartlepool United

Barrow v Eastleigh

Maidenhead United v Woking

You can keep across all the fixtures that have been affected across the country right here.

The A31 has reopened and is moving but Hampshire Police is still asking people to avoid the area.

It comes after hundreds of people were left stranded in their cars in freezing conditions overnight.

The force says it's still working to help recover vehicles that had to be abandoned.

It's also thanked volunteers including 4x4 and tractor owners who have been helping emergency services.

Police declared a major emergency as the military were called in to help.

Image source, Samantha Blackburn

South Western Railway has offered an apology to passengers stuck on trains overnight without water or food.

The operator said all of those stranded on the line between Bournemouth and Southampton have now been provided with hot food and drinks.

In a statement, it said hotel accommodation was also being offered to passengers unable to travel onwards from Bournemouth.

“Our staff, together with Network Rail have battled tirelessly throughout the night to try to get trains moving in very challenging conditions, and will continue to do so throughout the day," the statement added.

Image source, @unisouthampton/Twitter

It's not just schools which have been hit by the weather, Southampton, Bournemouth, Winchester, and Solent universities have suspended teaching today.

Bournemouth says its buildings will be shut until 08:00 GMT on Monday and Southampton and Solent have also closed campuses.

Reading University, Oxford Brookes, the University of Oxford, and Portsmouth University are all open today.

Cotswold Wildlife Park will be closed for the weekend due to the weather conditions.

Linda Serck
BBC South

Image source, Nigel Mykura

Dorset County Hospital has tweeted that it has had to "postpone many routine appointments due to staffing issues and patients being unable to travel safely to the hospital".

It states it is "under extreme pressure" and has called for any staff, clinical and non-clinical, not currently working and who live close to the hospital to come in and work an extra shift.

Sue Paz
BBC South

Image source, PA

South Western Railway says it will be ending services early today.

It comes after passengers on three trains were stuck overnight around Christchurch.

The operator says "multiple incidents" are still affecting its services and it cannot guarantee it can get passengers to their destination.

It adds there are currently no trains between the following stations:

• Brokenhurst to Lymington Pier
• Portsmouth Harbour to Fratton
• Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin
• Southampton and Weymouth
• Basingstone and Salisbury

The company says ice has affected the electric third rail in a number of areas leaving trains unable to move.

Points have also frozen across the network, it adds.

BBC South Today's Sally Taylor has a slight problem this morning.

Four foot snow drifts are blocking her road to work.

South Live wishes you luck Sally!

It's been reported that Attwood Close mobile home park in Basingstoke has been left without water due to frozen pipes.

South East Water says it's receiving a high number of calls due to the bad weather today.

It's apologised for any inconvenience to people trying to get through to the company.

Linda Serck
BBC South

A wedding planner has spent 19 hours delivering some giant LED letters spelling LOVE in time for a wedding in Basingstoke this afternoon.

Lorna Fox left Newbury, Berkshire at 15:00 GMT on Thursday for a journey that should only have taken around half an hour, but had to turn back after seven hours of "solid traffic" in snow on the A339.

Mrs Fox said: "We can't reschedule for next week, that doesn't happen in my job."

Determined to not let the bride and groom down, she woke up early on Friday and made it to the hotel this morning.