A yellow warning for snow has been upgraded to a more severe amber one as the West Midlands prepares for the “worst snowfall” in a decade.
The Met Office said the region would experience snow likely to lead to disruption and dangerous travelling conditions from 17:00 GMT on Thursday with the more severe weather expected in parts from 20:00.
Heavy snow from Storm Goretti could reach up to 10-15cm with the potential for 20-30cm in some locations. Stoke-on-Trent City Council said it was facing the worst snowfall in 10 years.
The amber warning covers Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and parts of Staffordshire until 09:00 on Friday.
People are being advised to travel only where necessary, with some schools in the region telling parents there may be closures on Friday ahead of wintry conditions.
Councils are preparing for significant snow by gritting roads, with road surface temperatures expected to drop below freezing.
City of Stoke-on-Trent Council said gritting operations were “particularly intense” and would continue in line with weather conditions.
Conservative councillors said grit bins across neighbourhoods had been left empty following several days of icy conditions and would not be refilled to maintain current stock levels.
In a statement, the Labour-run authority said it was aware of misinformation regarding its salt supplies and gritting operations and confirmed it hadn’t “run out of grit”.
“We are now facing the worst snowfall we have faced in 10 years,” the council said.
“The Met Office has predicted that we could have 3.5 inches of snow and temperatures as low as -4C on Thursday into Friday morning,” it added.
“As a result, we are carefully managing our resources and stock of salt.”
Some bus services in Shropshire have been cancelled ahead of the snow, with the council’s Connect On-Demand service in Shrewsbury and surrounding villages not in operation on Friday.
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said the “most significant impacts” from the snow would be in parts of Wales and the Midlands.
“An amber warning has been issued where the greatest risk of disruption is likely on Thursday night into Friday morning, though updates may be required as confidence increases in the exact track of Storm Goretti,” he added.
National Highways has issued an “amber severe weather alert” for snow on the region’s roads, in place from 18:00 GMT on Thursday to 09:00 GMT on Friday.
Motorists are advised to check ahead and plan for their journeys, with up to 15cm of snow expected along some routes.
Routes around Birmingham across to Leicester and Nottingham would see particularly difficult driving conditions, a spokesperson added.
West Midlands Railway has also warned people to check their journeys before travelling.
Network Rail has advised passengers in the West Midlands to check before travelling as there will be disruption to train services.
“From 19:00 GMT on Thursday, some trains across the West Midlands will run on a reduced timetable and passengers should take extra care and plan their journeys in advance,” it added.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has amber cold weather alerts for England running until Friday, warning that temperatures are likely to impact people’s health.
