For the second day, the UK remained in the grip of a winter blast with fresh snowfall causing travel disruptions across the country as Prime Minister David Cameron asked people to listen to warnings.
Several roads and dozens of schools were closed as snow caused severe disruption.
Manchester airport, the UK's third busiest, was forced to close for several hours to allow snowploughs to clear snow from the runways. East Midlands airport also suffered disruption.
In Scotland, further snow is expected over the weekend, which could cause further travel disruptions.
Gritters and snow ploughs were out in force and the Met Office has issued severe weather alerts for Yorkshire, the north-west and north-east of England, warning that a wintry blast of cold weather and heavy snow posed health risks to vulnerable patients.
Yellow warnings were in place for much of the rest of England. Even some parts of London woke up to light dusting of snow.
"We could see some more sleet and snow coming in from the north-west - the remnants of it could clip the south-east and as far south as London," said Helen Roberts, a forecaster at the Met Office.
"I imagine there will be more transport problems, with the ice potentially being more of a hazard than snow. The strength of the wind is making things feel extremely raw," she added.
The disruption was so severe that David Cameron announced on Twitter that he had asked for updates on the weather and measures taken to keep transport systems and energy supplies running.
Cameron said: "I have asked for an update on our heavy snow contingency plans. The gritters are out and people should listen to warnings."
A fierce Arctic blast is expected to sweep the country on Saturday and Sunday, bringing snow across the north and down the south-west and east coasts of England and East Anglia.
