Gritters are this afternoon heading out across Norfolk, after wintry weather brought flurries of snow and plummeting temperatures to the region.

Snow fell in parts of Cambridgeshire and west Norfolk this morning, with wintery weather moving across the county and falling over parts of mid, north and South Norfolk.

There was also a brief flurry in Norwich just before midday. And more is expected to fall again over the weekend, with wintery showers possible in Norwich and across North and East Norfolk.

Temperatures are expected to plunge to freezing across most of the Norfolk and Suffolk tonight but forecasters are warning that it could feel more like -3c.

And the chilly weather saw Norfolk County Council mobilise their fleet of gritters - with the vehicles having only been needed on a handful of occasions so far this winter.

The lorries, which spread salt, set out to cover county roads at 3pm today. The gritters will focus on roads in Norwich at 6.30pm.

With the temperatures set to dip again at just after midnight, a second grit run is scheduled for 2.30am tomorrow.

The grit run covers some 2,050 miles of A, B and some C class roads, commuter and major bus routes and, as far as is possible, one route into all villages.

Some footways in the pedestrian areas of central King's Lynn, central Great Yarmouth and central Norwich are also treated as a priority.

Our readers have been busy sharing their snow pictures with us and you can view them in our live blog

A Cold Weather Alert for all of England was issued on Thursday.

Dr Angie Bone of Public Health England (PHE) said: 'The Met Office says that many places are going to feel really cold for the next few days, which may be a bit of a shock after our recent milder weather, so it's really important people take extra care when out and about.

'It's worth remembering that while most outdoor slips, trips and falls in weather like this are of those who are of working age, accidents can happen to anyone.

'If you're staying indoors have plenty of warm food and drinks to stay warm. Try to maintain indoor temperatures to at least 18°C, particularly if you are not mobile, have a long term illness or are over 65, and check weather forecasts and plan your day around them.

Paul Gundersen, Chief Operational Meteorologist at the Met Office said: 'It will turn much colder for all parts of England over the next few days. Spells of sleet and snow at the start of the period will become increasingly confined to the North Sea coast and hills, giving way to cold, crisp days and sharp overnight frosts with a risk of ice. Frosts may also be severe at times, particularly where there is lying snow.

'As winds fall light there is an increasing risk of freezing fog patches forming overnight and locally where this freezing fog lingers temperatures may stay sub-zero all day. The cold weather currently looks like lasting into the early part of next week with a trend towards less cold conditions during the second half of next week.'

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