FREEZING temperatures, heavy snowfall and strong winds forced schools to close, events to be cancelled and left motorists stranded as Ceredigion was hit with several days of wintry weather.

Weather warnings were in place in Ceredigion for Thursday and Friday last week, forcing the closure of all county schools, along with all day care centres.

As temperatures reached as low as minus five degrees on the thermometer, all waste collections were suspended along with the closure of recycling centres in the county.

Heavy snowfall in parts of the county, combined with icy conditions, forced the closure of several roads on Thursday and Friday.

The A44 between Llangurig and Aberystwyth was closed on Thursday morning due to “poor visibility and treacherous conditions”, while the A4120 Devils Bridge to Ponterwyd; the B4343 Tregaron to Pontrhydfendigaid; the B4353 near Llancynfelyn; the B4340 at Trawscoed; and the A482 at Felinfach were all closed for several hours at the height of the big freeze.

Several trees were blown down in the high winds on Friday, with snow drifts causing impassable conditions.

The council said that several vehicles became trapped on more treacherous routes despite pleas from authorities to only travel if “absolutely necessary”.

Freezing rain fell in some parts of the county overnight on Thursday and council crews worked through the night trying to keep the primary routes clear.

A dozen gritters and snow ploughs, as well as three snow blowers, were out and about on Thursday and Friday.

While snowfall was not as heavy as expected in some parts of the county, the high winds and freezing conditions led to the cancellation of several events.

Saturday’s Aberystwyth Farmers Market was called off, along with several concerts at Aberystwyth Arts Centre on the weekend.

A Welsh Blood Service donation session in Aberystwyth was also cancelled, along with a planned visiting day for prospective students at Aberystwyth University on Saturday.

Trains were delayed and some routes cancelled, with services in and out of Aberystwyth finishing early on Thursday and severely disrupted on Friday.

Bus services were also cancelled, while the Vale of Rheidol Railway cancelled all trains over the weekend.

Cllr Ray Quant MBE, the Cabinet member responsible for Technical Services said: “In Ceredigion, we saw more drifting snow and high winds take hold, with snow in northern parts of the county.

“With procedures in place, the crews worked tirelessly to do what they could but conditions were proving difficult overnight.”

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