Yahoo News Gritter lorries out in Birmingham for first time this winter as city braces for cold snap
Birmingham City Council's gritting lorries have been sent out for the first time this winter. The Met Office confirmed that "showers may fall as snow at times" from Tuesday to Thursday in the West Midlands.
This was marked by a drop in temperatures to near freezing on Monday, prompting the start of gritting. The council said: "Temperatures have fallen. So for the first time this winter we have dispatched our gritters to grit roads and pathways.
"They are out right now. Please take care if you're out and about."
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The gritters will follow an established 'priority network' which covers over 700 miles or nearly 50% of the total length of all roads within the city, according to the council. The three priority levels the gritted network is divided into are:
priority level 1 (all major roads within the city)
priority level 2 (includes other roads with heavy traffic, which are an essential part of Birmingham's road network)
priority level 3 (consists of other busy local roads, important routes identified by the emergency services, all frequent bus routes, main access routes to large residential areas and important commuter routes)
Birmingham city council said on their website: "As well as the road network, some pavements in high footfall areas, such as the City Centre, also receive precautionary treatment. Footways in local shopping centres are cleared of snow if icy conditions persist, and resources are available.
"Cycle tracks are gritted where they are part of a carriageway that is being gritted. If they are separate from the carriageway, they are considered part of footway priorities, which are gritted subject to resources being available.
"Unfortunately, it is not possible to grit every road and pavement in the city or to carry out isolated treatment of individual roads that are not on the agreed priority routes; however, we do provide and stock grit bins for use on the public highway. Additionally, in the event of prolonged wintry conditions, we have a supplementary gritting programme which includes additional roads not normally treated."
A Met Office spokesperson said for Monday: "A cloudy and chilly day with rain at times, this turning heavier and more persistent during the afternoon.
"Becoming breezier and milder later. Windier and colder overnight with hill snow. Maximum temperature 9 C." Adding for Tuesday to Thursday: "Turning much colder. Often dry with a mixture of sunny spells and occasional wintry showers.
"The showers may fall as snow at times, with icy patches and frost likely overnight."
