Up to 5cm from 5am tomorrow (Tuesday). Be prepared.

MORE snow is expected to hit Devon in the early hours of tomorrow (Tuesday).

The whole of the county is facing the prospect of waking up to snow flurries moving in from the East of the county from around 5am.

The Met Office has advised that some areas of Devon could receive up to 2cm and some localised areas, particularly over higher ground such as Exmoor and the Blackdown Hills, could see up to 5cm tomorrow morning.

With road surface temperatures expected to drop to -7C, there is a risk of hoar frost and icy roads. Devon County Council’s gritters will be covering around 1,700 miles of its main salting network on Devon’s major roads starting between 4pm and 8pm this evening. The areas most at risk will also be treated overnight at 4am. All secondary routes into smaller communities have also been treated over the past 24 hours.

The Highways Agency’s fleet of gritters will also be out treating 170 miles, of the strategic road network in the county. The Agency also has snow ploughs ready to deal with any significant accumulations.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “Devon’s entire road network is passable with care, but icy conditions are being reported on the minor roads which are not treated. It’s also important to remember that ice can form even on roads which have been salted. At the moment we’re lucky that conditions have stayed fairly dry. However, with the possibility of heavy snow coming in the early hours of tomorrow, motorists need to plan accordingly and drive with extreme care.”

Malcolm Roberts, Highways Agency Area Performance Manager, added: “We would also advise drivers to check the weather and travel reports for the latest information before setting out and decide if there journey is necessary if severe conditions are forecast or weather conditions have worsened.”

Schools across the county have also been alerted to the possibility of snow. Parents can keep up to date with any closures by logging on to www.devonschoolclosures.info/