LARGE swathes of South Cumbria could be hit by snow today.

The Met Office have issued a weather warning for much of South Lakeland, although it stops just short of coastal areas.

Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport Keith Little said the county was prepared.

“This has been forecast for a couple of days now, and snow was likely to be coming to the north of England," he said,

“Our highways team will be taking the appropriate action so they will be out monitoring the roads and putting salt out where required.

The Westmorland Gazette: CUMBRIA: Gritter on a Cumbrian road.CUMBRIA: Gritter on a Cumbrian road.

“We can’t grit all the roads, but we will be gritting the main routes.

“As always we would advise motorists to just take care.”

The weather warning will be in place until 9pm tonight.

In November, Cumbria County Council launched a campaign to ensure the region is ‘winter ready’.

The Winter Ready campaign included offering guidance to residents and businesses in Cumbria.

This aims to ensure people have the right information and advice at their fingertips.

Cllr Little said: “Severe winter weather can have a huge impact on communities in Cumbria, as we have seen in recent years with the Beast from the East snow storms in 2018 and the devastating floods in 2015.

“It’s important we take some simple steps to prepare for winter - from getting a flu jab to checking over your vehicle.

The Westmorland Gazette: CUMBRIA COUNTY COUNCIL: Cllr Keith Little.CUMBRIA COUNTY COUNCIL: Cllr Keith Little.

“From the latest public health information and help with winter fuel payments, to making sure your vehicle is well prepared, our Winter Ready will provide a one-stop platform for all things winter-related.

“We’re also geared up to keep the county moving this winter - we’ve stockpiled 23,000 tonnes of rock salt and our fleet of 38 gritters are on standby day and night to treat priority roads and keep the travelling public safe.”

A wide range of information about the Winter Ready campaign is available at cumbriawinterready.org.uk

It has been developed, and is supported by a wide range of partners, including Cumbria County Council, the six District Councils, NHS, Cumbria Community Foundation and the Environment Agency.