WEATHERMEN have issued an "amber warning" for the East Midlands as the region braces itself for another bitterly cold day and a prolonged snowfall of up to 16 hours.
The region should see snow starting to fall at around 9pm tonight. It is expected to continue on and off throughout the night and into the afternoon tomorrow. Temperatures are to reach a maximum of just 2C.
The Met Office has issued a Level 3 (amber) cold weather warning for the East Midlands as it says there is a 90% chance of freezing conditions in the area.
A Met Office spokesman said: "It will remain dry throughout the day with some sunny spells developing after the freezing fog starts to clear away. There will be some cloud that will start to appear later on in the afternoon and this will gradually thicken into the evening.
"As the cloud begins thickening over the course of the evening, it brings with it snow. This will remain to fall on and off from late evening, 9pm and carry on through the night and into tomorrow."
With temperatures staying at 0C or below, weathermen have said that the snow will settle in most areas in the region.
"The snow is not expected to cause too many problems, in higher ground, at above 100m you could see as much as 10cm of snowfall, and around 2cm in lower ground.
"We have no warnings currently, but the elements could make travelling difficult, especially on untreated roads."
He added: "Give yourself extra time on your journey if you're on the road, as conditions will be icy and fog patches could lessen visibility in some areas."
The conditions will be colder than average over the course of the week.
There will be extensive overnight frosts.
Wintry showers are expected for most areas, leading to lightly settled snow and icy stretches.
The Met Office spokesman said: "It is looking to be cloudy and snowy tomorrow through Thursday, with the cold snap ending by Friday when temperatures are expected to reach 7C."
Amateur weatherman Martin Harris, from Spondon said: "The week ahead will be a cold one, with sharp frosts at night, and temperatures falling as low as -7C in rural areas."
The Met Office said: "This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.
"Prolonged periods of cold weather can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases.
