Cumbria 23 March 2013: the big freeze continues

It is astonishing how some parts of the county seem to have almost entirely escaped the severe weather but others continue to be badly affected.
 
Staff at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant have been advised to arrive for their shifts as usual today (Saturday 23rd March) after nonessential personnel were sent home yesterday (Friday 22nd) because the weather and road closures meant concern about whether they might be stranded.
 
Search and rescue teams led stranded motorists to safety in Cumbria overnight after deep snowdrifts made roads impassable. About 70 people were rescued and Cumbria Police said it received 800 calls for assistance.
 
Gary Parsons from the Bay Search and Rescue Team said the snow had been "unprecedented".

Mr Parsons said work to clear the worst-hit areas would continue throughout the day.

"We're going to try and move some of the cars and try to make a path for them so hopefully by mid-afternoon the roads will be open again," he said.

As at Saturdaylunchtime there are more than a dozen significant road closures, including:

 
A66 Cumbria - A66 closed between the A685 junction in Brough and the A1 junction in Scotch Corner, because of snow.

A592 Kirkstone Pass Troutbeck, both ways between Troutbeck and Hartsop
  • A592 Cumbria - A592 Kirkstone Pass closed between the Troutbeck junction and the Hartsop junction, because of snow.

     
  •  
    A595 Cumbria - A595 closed between the A5093 junction in Millom and the B5344 junction in Holmrook, because of snow.
     

  • A595 Cumbria - A595 closed between Wigton Turn in Red Dial and the B5299 junction in Mealsgate, because of snow.
     

  • A595 Cumbria - A595 closed between Elliscales Roundabout in Dalton-In-Furness and the A5092 junction in Grizebeck, because of snow.
     

  • A686 Cumbria - A686 Hartside Pass closed between the Alston junction and the Melmerby junction, because of snow.
     

  • A5091 Cumbria - A5091 closed between the A592 junction in Ullswater and the A66 junction in Troutbeck, because of snow.

    • The BBC Travel News Cumbria page with up to date details of these and other problems is here.


    The annual Coniston 14 road race, due to take place on today, has been postponed for the first time since it was cancelled due to the foot-and-mouth crisis in 2001. Organisers said it would be rearranged for a date in October.

    There were power cuts around Carlisle, Penrith and Millom on Friday and 350 homes are still affected, with Electricity North West engineers delayed by road conditions.

    A spokesman for Electricity North West said: "Our crews are working in extremely difficult conditions and we are getting to sites and restoring power as quickly as we can."

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