MORE snow has fallen in the Chester area overnight but so far all but one school is planning to remain open today (Monday).
Residents have woken to see cars, roads and pavements caked in fresh snow which is continuing to fall but the disruption seems to be minor by comparison with Friday morning when the bad weather started to make its presence felt in Chester.
So far only Dorin Park School in Upton has announced it will not be opening today. Chester Bluecoat CE Primary School is informing parents they can collect their children from 1.30pm but the school will remain open for the rest of the day.
In the Ellesmere Port area, Bishop Wilson Primary School in Neston decided to close at 1pm today while Capenhurst Primary has been closed since noon.
On Friday, a number of schools closed completely and virtually all others ended lessons early at lunchtime.
The Chester FC home match against Stalybridge went ahead on Saturday after an army of fans helped the club clear the pitch of snow. Their efforts were rewarded with an impressive 4-1 victory.
The main casualty over the weekend was the Helsby Half Marathon which was due to take place yesterday (Sunday) but on Saturday afternoon, it was announced the event would not be going ahead.
Schools which are closed all day on Friday were Upton High, Dorin Park, Guilden Sutton Primary, Wood Memorial, St Anthony's and Saltney Ferry Primary.
A contemporary dance course due to take place at Tattenhall Education Centre at the weekend was cancelled. Secondary school children from all over Cheshire were due to take part in the course, run by Homegrown Dance Theatre.
Director Julia Williams said: "It is a huge disappointment as we were due to rehearse for the U Dance competition at The Lowry next weekend. We have rescheduled a rehearsal on Tuesday but that will give us only three hours as opposed to a whole weekend. It is frustrating but it would have been too dangerous to ask people to travel to Tattenhall."
The Met Office issued an orange weather warning for Cheshire as up to 15cm (six inches) of snow will fall within 36 hours from the early hours of Friday to mid-morning on Saturday.
A spokesman for Cheshire and Rescue Fire Service said: “If you have to drive during the spell of cold weather, please check our road safety advice, which will help you to plan your journey and drive safely. Please be prepared.”
The North West Ambulance Service is also asking residents to take care.
Derek Cartwright, the service’s acting director of operations, said: “Severe weather has a huge impact on the service as we, like all other road users, have to negotiate the hazardous driving conditions.
“There is always an increase in the number of road traffic collisions and falls, therefore I ask that the public only take necessary journeys. If you do need to travel, make sure you are prepared for extended journey times.
“We always ask the public to think before dialling 999, but people should not be afraid to ring us if they believe they need emergency assistance.
“However, we want to remind everyone that ambulance services are not there simply to transport people to a health care centre or hospital – our excellent staff are specially trained in dealing with trauma and life-threatening cases and this is where their expertise should be focused on.
“Heart attacks, strokes and other potentially life-threatening incidents cannot wait, we need to get to these people as quickly as possible without having to divert from patients that can be easily treated elsewhere.
“If anyone is unsure about the treatment they need, NHS Direct (0845 4647) can offer advice on where is the best treatment centre for you.”
