Snow brings chaos to West Sussex

THE heaviest snowfall for 20 years combined with plunging temperatures caused travel chaos across West Sussex this week - and 145 schools were closed.

By The Newsroom

Published 3rd Feb 2009, 15:38 BST

Updated 8th Jun 2018, 04:13 BST

Sussex Police dealt with 213 weather-related calls between midnight and 3.30pm on Monday - mostly minor crashes with no serious injuries - caused by snow and ice.

Drivers complained that many roads throughout the county appeared not to have been treated, despite warnings since Friday that heavy snow was on its way.

Barrow Hill, leading into Henfield from Small Dole, was closed for most of Monday because it was so dangerous.

But the council said freezing temperatures made road gritting useless and that once road temperatures plunged below -2C salt would not melt snow.

A spokeswoman from West Sussex County Council said: "Our team of gritters and snowploughs was out on Sunday afternoon and continued to spread salt throughout the night to keep major routes open."

For full story see West Sussex Gazette February 4