On the last day of the Christmas school holidays, Greater Manchester woke up to a blanket of crisp, white snow.
After several inches of snowfall overnight, large parts of the region were transformed into a glorious winter wonderland.
As morning came around, children wrapped in coats and scarves raced from their homes into the snow-covered streets. Sledges came out, snowmen popped up and snowball fights broke out in parks, fields and gardens across the region.
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There were joyful scenes as kids and pets frolicked in the wintry conditions. But for some, the snow was no cause for celebration.
Two severe weather warnings remained in place as flurries of snow continued to fall throughout the morning, leading to road closures and travel disruption.
Families across the region have been enjoying the snow today -Credit:Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News
Woodhead Pass and Snake Pass, which connect Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, were shut, while rail operators issued ‘do not travel’ warnings and Manchester Airport shut its runways as flights were hit by delays.
The Premier League grudge match between Liverpool and Manchester United even appeared to be in doubt at one stage, although the game eventually went ahead after two emergency meetings.
In Bury, a man was rushed to hospital after being injured in a horror sledging incident. Paramedics and fire crews were called to Stockton Drive, in Tottington, due to the incident, which happened in nearby Kirklees Brook.
The man, whose age has not been confirmed, was rescued using specialist equipment after ‘falling down the large slope’ at around 1.30pm. Emergency crews were in attendance for an hour and a half before the man was treated by paramedics. The nature of his injuries has not yet been confirmed.
Snowmen at Tandle Hill in Oldham -Credit:Kenny Brown
Elsewhere in the north of England, stranded vehicles and collisions left some key roads closed while rail services were cancelled. By mid-afternoon, much of the snow in Greater Manchester had turned to a grey slush as the rain moved in.
An amber warning for snow remains in place until 11.59pm this evening. It covers northern stretches of Greater Manchester and much of northern England.
A less-severe yellow weather warning for snow and ice is also in place covering much of England and Wales, running until 11.59pm. Meanwhile, the Met Office also issued a new snow and ice warning for much of the north of England, Scotland and north Wales, from midnight until 12pm tomorrow (Monday).
Two flood alerts have also been issued for parts of Greater Manchester with a ‘be prepared’ warning in place. The alerts cover parts of Stockport, Sale, Stretford, Altrincham, Urmston, Cheadle, Wilmslow and Gatley.