MORE bad weather is on the way for Huddersfield.

The town escaped the worst of the early-winter snowfalls yesterday but worse is to come.

Forecasters are predicting heavy snow today and tomorrow – and warned of the possibility of record low temperatures by the end of the week.

A blast of bitterly-cold air from Siberia could send temperatures plummeting as low as minus 15°C on Friday night – much colder than the previous record of minus 12.8°C recorded in 1979.

Hundreds were affected by yesterday snow and ice with people struggling to get to work.

Only one Kirklees school – Birkdale High School in Dewsbury - had to close.

In Calderdale, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School and Sports College closed at 1pm yesterday on the advice of bus companies and Met Office.

There was disruption on the roads for bus services, with some unable to travel on side roads, but all main roads remained open.

But it may be the lull before the storm.

Weather expert Paul Stevens said: “We are going to get it bad all week.

“Yesterday we actually saw temperatures get just above freezing in the sunshine but it is going to turn again.

“We have been getting the weather from Central Europe, where it has been about minus 8°C, but over the next day or two the winds will pick up from the east and we will get weather straight from Siberia and northern Scandinavia, where it has been as low as minus 25°C.

“That’s going to bring heavy snow over the next 48 hours and we could see up to 25cm on the hills, with the possibility of 5cm to 10cm in the town.

“With winds gusting at up to 40mph there could be some blizzards and some drifting.

“The snow will ease later in the week but we will then see temperatures really fall and on Thursday and Friday it could get as cold as it has ever been in Huddersfield.

“It would not surprise me to see a record low before the weekend”.

GRITTERS were out last night as snow continued to hit Huddersfield.

Kirklees Council workers carried out a grit of its priority network, including main roads and school routes, at 6pm yesterday.

Earlier yesterday staff gritted secondary roads, such as those in housing estates. They also gritted pavements in Huddersfield town centre.

You can receive live updates on the council’s gritting efforts at:

http://twitter.com/kirkleeswinter

WEATHER conditions hit Leeds Bradford Airport hard with a full closure of the runway from 7.20am yesterday morning.

Passengers were advised to check in as normal but were warned of delays due to heavy snow.

By 10.15am however the snow had been cleared and flights resumed.

A spokesman for Metro said that buses would be proceeding with caution but some estates and minor roads would be missed out.

Among several service changes the 254 was unable to serve Walkley Lane in Heckmondwike due to black ice and operated via High St and Staincliffe Road.

There were also delays of up to 15 minutes on the 80, 81, 82, 83 and 84 services.

The 212 was diverted via Soothill Road and is not calling at Bromsdale Road.

The 220 and 222 services did not serve Woodlands/West Lane Gomersal and the 221 did not call at Dale Lane estate.

The 281 and 283 avoided Howden Clough and Birstall.

Metro said that the worst of the weather had not reached West Yorkshire.