West of England residents wake up to covering of snow

The first snow of this winter in Bristol fell overnight

People living in parts of the West have woken up to very wintry scenes on Sunday after show showers overnight.

Parts of Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire got a covering as showers spread from west to east.

Westonbirt Arboretum announced it would be shut due to the driving conditions, and Longleat safari park in Wiltshire also closed.

The southbound M5 in Gloucestershire was shut after a "multi-vehicle" crash near Quedgeley, Highways England said.

"Please allow extra time for your journey and drive carefully due to the weather conditions," it said after the collision, which happened between junctions 11A and 12.

All lanes reopened just before 15:00 GMT, but drivers were warned to expect lengthy delays.

The A417 was also closed in both directions in Gloucestershire between the M5 and the A429.

Gloucestershire Police said it was dealing with "an unprecedented amount" of weather-related issues and urged people to avoid travelling if possible.

Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service was called out to the M5 crash

The difficult driving conditions meant Westonbirt Arboretum was shut

A crash closed the M5 southbound in Gloucestershire

Enough snow fell for people to get their sledges out in Stratton, near Cirencester

There was enough snow - just - to build a snow family in front of the Royal Crescent in Bath

Cirencester residents also woke up to snowy scenes

For many parts of the region it was the first snow of this winter.

Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire announced on Twitter that it would be closed on Sunday due to the snowfall, and driving conditions on the approach roads.

Longleat also said it was closing because the weather had made conditions on site "unsafe".

In a tweet, it said anyone who had tickets for Sunday would receive a full refund.

Driving conditions were tricky in Didmarton first thing on Sunday

Animals such as Buffy the Cat in Windmill Hill in Bristol found it was colder underfoot than usual

John and Marios, aged five, took advantage of the snow near Bath

In a statement, Bristol Airport said flights were not being disrupted by the weather.

"Our Fire Department were on hand to support and provide assistance to clear away any snow on the main taxiway.

"There were a few delays this morning, but all flights departed within an hour of its departure time."

The airport said it was encouraging travellers to arrive at least two hours before their flight was scheduled.

Dogs on walks, such as these in Hanham near Bristol, found themselves walking in a winter wonderland

The snow fell heaviest in parts of Gloucestershire. This picture was taken in Lydbrook

There was a Christmas card-like scene on the Badminton Estate in South Gloucestershire

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