The second spell of winter weather arrived in Scotland this week as temperatures dropped below zero.
Overnight flurries of snow lined several busy carriageways as commuters preprepared for a disrupted journey.
The Highlands was one of the worst hit areas with over 40 schools having to close while some homes in the region were left without power.
Met Office yesterday issued an amber “be prepared” warning as more than 5cm (2in) was expected to fall on low grounds this morning with over 15cm (6in) on high ground.
BEAR Scotland said that it was treating routes as necessary to help manage the adverse conditions.
Eddie Ross, north west representative, said: ‘’The north west, parts of the north east, have experienced heavy snow showers throughout the night, at all levels on most routes.
“Our winter teams have been working throughout the night and all routes in the North West and North East are open, although conditions remain very challenging.
“We encourage motorists to prepare well for their journeys and drive with care whilst these winter conditions continue.’’
Flights were also affected as Manchester Airport was forced to close while trains south of the border were also hard hit.
And mobile network operator EE Mobile said some customers Ayrshire would lose coverage has the persistent conditions had caused signal problems.
Motorists were advised by Police Scotland to ensure they had ample amounts of fuel, warm clothing, food and drink and a fully charged mobile phone in the event that they were “stuck” for some time.
The warning followed a dose of severe weather earlier in the month which led to huge traffic jams across the country and a spate of crashes.