Commuters and residents were bracing themselves against more disruption today as further heavy snow and strong winds were expected to hit overnight.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for Scotland and northern England of high winds and snow spreading from the west, becoming persistent and heavy by the early hours of Thursday morning.

A spokesman said: “There is the potential for 10 to 20cm of snow on ground above about 150 metres with blizzard conditions and considerable drifting in strong winds. This could cause disruption to travel networks across higher level routes.”

Special schools across the Bradford District were due to be closed today as a precaution after the Met Office’s severe weather warning.

Bradford Council announced yesterday that special schools in Shipley and Keighley have been closed as many pupil rely on special transport arrangements to get to the schools.

Ilkley Grammar School pupils have been given the rest of the week off.

Headteacher Gillian James announced yesterday afternoon that the school would be closed to pupils as she was concerned about the safety of students getting to and from school on Thursday.

Normal lessons were not scheduled for tomorrow, as it was due to be the school’s review day. However, Mrs James said this has now been postponed until January.

Friday is a staff training day and no students were due into school.

Major transport routes across Wharfedale, Aireborough and Horsforth had not recovered from Tuesday’s snow fall and Wednesday’s freezing temperatures before the fresh Arctic weather was due to make conditions worse.

Snow showers earlier in the week brought transport chaos to the area as residents struggled to get to work and school through solid traffic.

Guiseley and Yeadon faced severe problems as did places on higher ground including Ilkley and Pool-in-Wharfedale.

West Yorkshire Police reported at least ten minor accidents across the county on Tuesday, all causing delays to traffic.

Some trains from Ilkley were also cancelled and many flights into and out of Leeds Bradford Airport were subject to delays due to snow on the runway.

Airport staff worked to clear the runway, which was closed between 6.52 and 8.30am and flights were getting back to normal by mid-morning.

Two lorries got stuck in the snow at Old Pool Bank at 6.30am on Tuesday. A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “We received a call from a member of the public to say the lorries were stuck but by the time the police arrived the road was clear. Traffic was moving again by 7am.”

Despite claims by Bradford Council that all the roads were gritted, traffic in Shipley ground to a standstill during the Tuesday morning rush-hour, causing a tailback that reached back through Baildon and Guiseley as far as Menston.

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “We salted all the major routes in Ilkley by 6pm on Monday, two patrols carried out snow grits throughout the night and we went out again at 6.30am.

“The salt relies on vehicles activating and mixing it into the snow to dissolve it. Unfortunately this does not happen when snow falls in the early hours of the morning when it is quiet on the roads and the salt does not melt the snow as soon as it falls.

“Even though the roads have been salted, we would urge motorists to drive with extra care in icy conditions and when snow has fallen.”

But motorists stuck along Hollins Hill, between Baildon and Guiseley, said they could not see any evidence of grit on the road.

On Wednesday morning, although some major routes were gritted and clear, a thin covering of snow on other roads made for treacherous driving conditions. Bradford Council was again accused of letting down motorists and pedestrians.

Moor Lane and Main Street, Burley-in-Wharfedale, were covered with sheets of ice and the high level route from Bingley to Ilkley was precarious, especially down Cowpasture Road, Ilkley.

One driver, who did not want to be named, said that between Eldwick and Ilkley, she saw no grit on the roads at all.

She said: “I went down Cowpasture Road on the wrong side of the road, skidding all the way – I thought it was a main route and would have been gritted.”

In Ilkley, Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston, pedestrians struggled with ice encrusted pavements which proved extremely slippery.

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “We salted all the major routes in Ilkley and Burley-in-Wharfedale yesterday and throughout the night.

“The gritters went out at 4pm yesterday until 8pm and then the night patrol worked from 11pm until 4am. The daytime crews took to the roads at 7.30am today to lay salt on side roads and estates and will be working all day. Hand crews will be salting the areas the gritters can not reach such as pavements.

“Even though the roads and pavements have been salted, we would urge people to take extra care in icy conditions and when snow has fallen.”

A spokesman for the Met Office said that today’s snow was expected to clear away by the afternoon.