Council winter road condition and school closure report for Caithness
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Highland Council provided a summary of reports from operational staff on road conditions and school closures in the county.
The council stated that it is "not intended" to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Road condition reports for today are as follows:
Caithness
Posted 8.08am. Negative RST's (Road Surface Temperatures) on all routes this morning, with some patches of old frozen snow. Also, stretches of ice and frost patches and it is currently snowing on some routes. Treatment is continuing. No issues reported overnight.
Ross and Cromarty East
Posted at 7.17am. Some lingering snow and ice on side roads and higher roads. All routes being patrolled and treated as necessary.
Sutherland
Posted at 8.27am. Temperatures blew freezing away from far northwest. Snow cover of up to two inches on higher ground with residual snow elsewhere. Some frosty areas and icy patches. All routes being treated in accordance with policy.
School closures
As of 11.21am this morning the school closures are as follows:
Wick High School: Closed (damage to school building)
Newton Park Primary: Closed (part of Wick Community Campus)
The school closures page on the council’s website at: www.highland.gov.uk/schoolclosures is updated from 7am and cleared each evening by 6pm.
Get alerts of closures on Highland Council’s Twitter and Facebook. Or phone 0800 564 2272 to get the latest pre-recorded message from head teachers regarding their school. Have the school's PIN ready when you call.
Weekend update:
Highland Council roads operatives were busy during Friday night as they reacted to issues caused by Storm Arwen.
Many of Highland’s roads were affected by ice, blizzard conditions and drifting snow on high ground.
All routes were treated by priority as per the council’s gritting policy. Various higher route roads were closed overnight due to drifting.
A combination of rain, sleet, snow and wind saw a number of roads affected by fallen trees which blocked routes. Most of these were cleared by operatives during the evening and night, where it was deemed safe.
Some fallen trees blocking certain roads overnight were considered unsafe to work and more resources were required for larger trees. These were cleared on Saturday morning when the storm had calmed.
Maps of the Council’s gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting
