Cold weather predicted all week as gritters roll out

Added at 20:30 on 10 February 2021

The county council is urging residents and businesses to be prepared for cold weather all this week following a Met Office warning of continuing freezing conditions.

The snow which has already fallen has led to disruption of services at several of the county’s recycling and household waste sites. Residents are being urged to check the council website before travelling for their appointment. 

The gritters headed out across the county over the weekend and they’ve been out again today to treat key routes and keep the county moving. They will be out again tonight

Councillor Trevor Pendleton, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We start preparing for the winter weather in the summer so by the time we need to send our gritters out we are fully stocked up on salt and ready to tackle anything.

“We monitor the weather constantly and have teams across the county on call to grit whenever is needed. At the moment, the lower traffic levels propose a unique challenge for our gritters as friction caused by the passage of vehicles on the grit is essential to complete the de-icing process.

“I urge residents who are making essential journeys this week to drive carefully as roads still may be icy and to check our gritting routes before they leave.”

The county council does not grit every road, check if your journey is gritted on their map. Check where they grit here: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/winter-weather/gritting-and-travel-this-winter

The county council has five gritting depos across the county, with 23 gritters, and the 17 routes they follow cover 1,300 miles of the county which makes up 47% of the county’s road network. Since November the gritters have been out 54 times

This year, the council’s grit barns are stocked up with 18,000 tonnes of rock salt, ready to tackle the worst of the winter weather. Community snow wardens also do their bit by gritting paths – and local farmers help out by fitting snow ploughs to their tractors and helping the council to clear roads where necessary.

The county council is encouraging residents to check in on their vulnerable neighbours, family and friends during the cold weather snap, for all the council’s advice on staying well this winter visit: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/winter-weather/stay-well-this-winter