Snow disruption: M62 drivers stranded due to blizzard conditions

Several motorists reported being stuck on the M62 motorway overnight, with the weather forcing lane closures

Drivers were stuck on the M62 motorway across the Pennines overnight due to blizzard conditions.

Several motorists reported getting into difficulties on the key route for about six hours, with congestion stretching to 17 miles at its height.

National Highways said people had got stuck despite gritting having been carried out since Thursday afternoon.

Emma Hamilton, 28, who was caught on the M62 through the night, said drivers were "left to it to direct ourselves".

Describing the scene, Ms Hamilton said there were "lorries broken down all over the road across all lanes" and drivers were "having to work out themselves how to go round them".

"I'm just tired and upset at the lack of any direction from authorities," she added.

Meanwhile, Simon Peach, chief football writer for the PA news agency, got stuck on the motorway after covering Manchester United's Europa League match at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

He said he had "moved about 25 miles over the course of the night and the first 15 miles or so were clear, so I've been at a standstill for a really long time.

"I've never had to drive through anything like this before."

Dave Wilson, from National Highways, said: "Despite our best efforts throughout [Thursday] afternoon to prepare the M62 for the snow, gritting itself does not stop snow lying on the carriageway.

"It needs traffic to drive over it to grind the grit into the carriageway, unfortunately that traffic then lost traction and became stuck.

"That in turn then creates the queue of traffic behind which our gritters can't get through to clear any specific areas."

Around 33,000 customers lost power across the Yorkshire and Humber region due to the weather, according to National Powergrid, with the major impact felt across West and South Yorkshire.

The electricity distributor said on Friday afternoon it was "pushing to restore power to 3,000 customers still affected by the snow and ice".

Meanwhile, the weather forced the closure of more than 1,000 schools across Yorkshire.

Some car owners in Sheffield woke up to find their vehicles buried in snow

On the trains, Network Rail said fallen trees had blocked lines between Manchester and Sheffield, meaning no services could run.

Train operators TransPennine Express and Northern were also among those affected by the severe weather, with many services cancelled.

The A57 Snake Pass between Manchester and Sheffield remains closed, though the A628 Woodhead Pass to the north has reopened.

Deep snow drifts blocked roads in Clapham, North Yorkshire, on Friday morning

First Bus was also forced to suspend all its services across South Yorkshire early on Friday.

"Unfortunately due to the significant snowfall our region has experienced we are unable to operate any services safely," a spokesperson said.

Snow in Holme, West Yorkshire, was up to waist level for these children by 07:30 GMT on Friday

Other weather-related disruption on Friday included:

• Flights delayed at Leeds Bradford Airport, with three departures cancelled

• Sheffield's criminal courts not sitting due to the weather

• The RAC received calls from drivers stuck in the snow - particularly around Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and Hull

A widespread "yellow" weather warning for ice runs until 10:00 GMT on Saturday.

It warned of injuries from slips and falls and icy patches on untreated roads and pavements.

A traffic camera on Sutton Bank in the North York Moors National Park appeared to show a crashed vehicle

The Met Office recorded an official snow depth of 14cm in Bingley, West Yorkshire, but higher unofficial measurements have been recorded in Leeds and Sheffield.

Speaking late on Thursday, North Yorkshire Police told drivers to "avoid travelling if possible" and said it had received reports of stranded vehicles in Harrogate and Scarborough.

At the A170 Sutton Bank hill in the North York Moors National Park, a traffic camera appeared to show a crashed car in treacherous conditions late on Thursday.

The heavy snowfall also hit the filming of ITV soap Emmerdale, which had to be cancelled on Friday.

The drama, which is based in West Yorkshire, is currently filmed on a purpose-built set on the Harewood Estate, near Leeds.

Actor Nick Miles, who plays Jimmy King in Emmerdale, wrote on Twitter: "Look out Leeds. We're all going sledging!"