The weekend snowfalls, plummeting sub-zero temperatures, and freezing fog are continuing to make travel trickier this morning.
Edinburgh Airport, which closed yesterday for four hours, is open this morning, although it is advising passengers to expect "slight delays" and cancellations. Flights have been affected by weather at other airports. Heathrow, in particular, has had problems clearing a huge amount of snow and ice. Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at Heathrow this past weekend.
Scotrail, which recently was kitting trains out with skirts so that they could continue to run in the freezing snow and ice (two weeks ago the rail service seized up during the big chill), has issued only a few travel alerts this morning.
Trains between North Berwick and Edinburgh are currently suspended due to a "train fault". Train services at Bathgate, where the new line opened last week, have been disrupted due to signalling problems.
Edinburgh Road clearing
Edinburgh City Council said that 16 mini-tractors and 32 other vehicles were out clearing snow from Category 1 and, where possible, Category 2 routes over the week. Nearly 400 other Council staff and sub-contractors have been out in the city breaking up and clearing snow/ice from carriageways and footpaths. The Council said gritting crews were working throughout the night.
In an update yesterday (Sunday), Edinburgh City Council said all Secondary and Primary Schools will be open today, but all Special Schools will be closed to pupils.
White Christmas
The long range forecast confirms that Edinburgh will probably have its second white christmas in a row.
The Met forecast, from early this morning (Monday, 20 December) is:
"Staying mainly dry with sunny spells however snow flurries will move into the east on Thursday as a bitterly cold easterly wind sets in. Showers becoming heavier on Friday."
Looking ahead to Christmas Day and beyond the Met Office is forecasting "Further snow, widespread ice, severe overnight frosts and some freezing fog across most of the UK".
Beyond that, the forecast for the Hogmanay period sees the chance of the deep freeze thawing.