Traffic is moving slowly around Chester this morning and motorists are being urged to take care on the roads as Cheshire was blanketed in snow overnight.

A yellow weather warning for snow is in place for many parts of the North West of England and Wales from 12.05am until 11.55pm on Tuesday.

The wintry blast, dubbed "the Beast from the East", swept into the UK on Monday morning.

Traffic is heavier that usual in and around Chester, with motorists experiencing delays of about 12 minutes on the A483 Wrexham Road, near the Posthouse Roundabout.

Cheshire Police tweeted: “Morning everyone. Lots of snow across Cheshire today. Please drive carefully.”

Cheshire West and Chester Council warned residents that waste and recycling collections may be delayed today.

The council reported no school closures in Chester and Ellesmere Port due to the weather this morning. However, The University of Chester Academy Northwich is closed to all pupils except Year 11 due to Sunday’s fire.

Many schools in Cheshire West have been tweeting photos of snow-covered school gates and yards.

The Queen’s School tweeted: “The snow is falling but we are open as normal. Please travel safely and take extra care this morning. #snowuk”

Queen’s Park High School tweeted: “We’ve managed to dodge a bad hit from the #BeastfromtheEast so @qphschester is open as normal this morning. Take care when travelling.”

St Oswald’s CE School, Mollington, tweeted: “It's a wintry morning. Please wrap up warm and take care coming into school this morning.”

Dee Point Primary School tweeted a picture of the snow-covered playground, adding: “The world's whitest playground waiting for you all...”

A Met Office spokesman said: "Snow showers or longer periods of snow are expected on Tuesday, accompanied by very low temperatures.

"There is the potential for travel delays on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, as well as delays or cancellations to rail and air travel.

"Some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected.

By the middle of the week, the majority of Britain is being warned of the potential for delays on the roads, trains and in the air.

Lows of minus 5C (23F) recorded over the weekend marked the lowest temperature in the week leading up to March 1, the first day of spring, since 1986.

The wind chill, which could see parts of the UK feeling as cold as minus 15C (5F), rivals the temperatures forecast for parts of northern Norway and Iceland.