Snow go: Hundreds of drivers were trapped on the main route between Glasgow and EdinburghScotland's Transport Minister apologised today after hundreds of motorists were stranded in their cars overnight, following heavy snow and freezing temperatures which brought main routes to a standstill.
Some travellers were stuck in their vehicles for more than 15 hours as Scotland bore the brunt of a fresh wave of ice and snow which left several major routes - including the M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh - impassable.
Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson conceded that the weather advice the authorities had been working on yesterday 'did not meet the requirements'. And he warned it may take some time before the roads were 'back to anything approaching normal'.
Drivers across central Scotland were warned not to travel today unless it was 'absolutely essential' after temperatures plunged as low as minus 17C (1.4F) and hampered gritting efforts.
The deluge yesterday - which appeared to take the authorities by surprise - saw people sleep in their cars or abandon them on the highway as motorways and A roads clogged up.
Worst-hit were the M8 near Livingston and the M80 and A80 north- east of Glasgow, where up to 500 cars were trapped in ice and snow. The M74, M73 and A725 further south were also badly affected.
This morning, Strathclyde Police reported that the snow and ice on some roads was breaking the blades on snow ploughs.
Back in business: A snow plough clears snow from the runway at Glasgow airport yesterday
Winter wonderland: Edinburgh Castle lies covered in heavy snow yesterday afternoonMr Stevenson told BBC Radio Scotland said Scotland was in the grip of the 'worst snow and ice conditions since the 1960s' and said that the authorities had been caught out by the severity of the weather yesterday.
Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: 'We prepared for one set of weather yesterday morning - we had weather greater than we were ready for.'
He insisted staff had been making 'quite heroic efforts', but added: 'Today we're now facing temperatures so low that salt is no longer working on the network. We've actually seen snow ploughs damaged by the solidity of the ice on the M8.'
Mr Stevenson went on: 'We will continue to make very substantial efforts indeed, but I'm sorry it will take some time before we're back to anything approaching normal.'
There was good news for air passengers as Edinburgh and Glasgow airports re-opened today after closing yesterday due to bad weather conditions but passengers were being warned to expect delays.
Belfast International and London City airports have also warned passengers of delays and cancellations due to fog and freezing weather.
Passengers travelling to Europe are likely to face more delays and cancellations as bad weather and strikes affect services.
Heavy snowfall is causing delays across Eastern Europe, and there have been reports of high winds and freezing fog across Central and Western parts of Europe.
Passengers are advised to check their airline's website before they travel.
Meanwhile, Finnair cabin crew are continuing to strike and many of the airline's flights have been cancelled.
On the railways, the East Coast line between London and Edinburgh was still running a reduced service, and some Northern Rail services in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire were cancelled.
Eurostar is planning to run a near normal timetable today but some services may be subject to last minute changes.
Sea of fog: The Somerset levels, as seen from the Mendip hills, are bathed in freezing fog
Buried: A man digs his car out from the snow in Perth, Scotland, as forecasters warn of treacherous conditionsNorth-east Scotland and north-west England have been warned about fresh snow today, with widespread icy roads expected up and down the country after temperatures plunged as low as -15C.
But there looked to be some brief respite from the freezing conditions later this week - with many places expected to have their first frost-free night for more than two weeks on Thursday.
Brendan Jones, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said temperatures were due to rise from Thursday through the weekend thanks to a shift in the wind direction.
He said: 'We are expecting things to become less cold by Thursday. At the moment, temperatures are struggling to get above freezing, but by Thursday most places are going to be above zero - 4C (39.2F) or 5C (41F) across large parts of the country. Many places will have a frost-free night.'
A change in the wind from easterly to north-westerly will bring the milder conditions, but Mr Jones warned that the weather looked set to get colder again into next week.
'The charts are showing an east or north-east set-up, with potential snow showers in eastern areas next week,' he said.
Blowing a gale: A pedestrian crosses the street during wind and snowfall in Edinburgh, Scotlandsource : dailymail
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