Britain was preparing for more bitter weather last night including further snow as Arctic conditions continued to bite.
Drivers were warned to expect icy roads tomorrow after forecasters predicted sleet and snow showers with temperatures struggling to rise above freezing.
The cold snap is expected to last well into the weekend, although there are signs that milder weather could arrive in some areas on Sunday to usher in a New Year risk of more flooding following a rapid thaw.
Overnight snow had blanketed much of Britain by yesterday morning as one of the most widespread falls for some years brought chaos to road, rail and air services. Up to a foot of snow fell in parts of the Scottish Highlands, eight inches in Glasgow and seven inches in areas of Northern Ireland.
The coldest place overnight was Altnaharra, in Sutherland, northern Scotland, at minus 11 C.
Any thaw in the next 48 hours is expected to be slow and it will remain cold everywhere until New Year's Eve, when rain and milder air should spread slowly from the south-west.
The rain is expected to be preceded by snow in the north and east.
Heavy snow in Glasgow closed the city's airport. The last flight left at 10 p.m. on Wednesday night and a snow-clearing operation began on the runway. It was officially closed at 5.30 a.m. yesterday and reopened at 2.15 p.m..
Fresh snow in Liverpool last night prevented officials reopening the city's airport. It was closed at 5 a.m. after several inches of snow fell on Merseyside.
The runway at Gatwick was closed until about 7.30 a.m. and some flights had to be diverted to other airports.
At Stansted some early morning flights were cancelled or diverted and passengers had delays of up to 90 minutes.