A LIGHT dusting of snow as fallen in York as the cold snap continues.

Drivers are being warned to take care when on the roads in the cold weather.

Light snow showers are set to hit the city until about 10am changing to sunshine by lunchtime.

Cold temperatures are expected today with a high of 3°C and low of -3°C.

York Press: Snow in Parliament Street this morning (Thurs, Jan 18)Snow in Parliament Street this morning (Thurs, Jan 18) (Image: Dylan Connell)

Met Office chief meteorologist, Andy Page, said: “There will be widespread frost this week and we could see some fairly deep laying snow in parts of northern UK and strong winds could result in drifting or blizzard conditions at times.

Read more: * Frozen over! 9 stunning photos in and around York as snow and ice hit today

"The snow and ice will be disruptive and could potentially impact travel plans, make driving dangerous and pavements slippery.”

Amy Fellows, National Network Manager at National Highways, warned that freezing conditions bring hazards on the roads.

She urged drivers to “take every possible step to understand your journey in advance and allow lots of extra time when travelling to prepare for the unexpected”.

North Yorkshire Police has put out a warning to drivers on social media.

Meanwhile elsewhere in the country there's an amber warning for snow in force across northern Scotland, the Orkney and Shetland Islands. It is currently in place until 6pm on Thursday, with the potential of up to 20cm more snowfall.

All schools were closed on Thursday amid the wintry conditions in Orkney and in Shetland, where many have been shut since Monday.

In Aberdeenshire around 130 schools were shut and others have delayed openings, while in Moray nine schools and nurseries were closed due to the weather and others have late or staggered starts.

Other parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland have a yellow snow and ice warning spanning the whole of Thursday, while the north and northwest of the UK are likely to see further wintry outbreaks over the next 24 hours.

Separate, shorter snow and ice warnings are in place for Wales and south-west England, until 11am on Thursday, and in eastern England until midday on Thursday, as both areas could see wintry showers that lead to icy patches.

York Press: Blakey Ridge on the North York Moors in the snowBlakey Ridge on the North York Moors in the snow (Image: Supplied)