Fatal crashes add to snow misery

Cardiff roads remained busy in the morning rush hour

At least three people have died in separate crashes as people in many areas once again faced dealing with heavy snow.

It is not yet known if the tragedies were directly related to the weather but they came as trains, flights and ferries were disrupted by the snowfall.

In some valleys, the ambulance service cancelled non-essential outpatient appointments, and a total of 369 schools shut, most of them in the south Wales valleys including all in Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil.

Rain moving across the country has brought a thaw in some places, though fog and sleet, or even more snow, on high ground has persisted.

One person died after two cars crashed and caught fire on the A5 between Capel Curig and Bethesda in the morning rush hour.

Gwent Police said the woman driver of a vehicle died after her vehicle crashed on the northbound carriageway of the A449. The road was closed to traffic from the Coldra roundabout for a time.

Main roads were open, but drivers were urged to be careful

And South Wales Police said an accident which closed the A465 Heads of the Valleys road between Merthyr Tydfil and Cefn Coed around 1500 GMT involved at least one fatality.

Two men were taken to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil with serious injuries after the head-on crash one mile east of the Cefn Coed roundabout.

The accidents came as South Wales and Gwent Police both advised drivers to make essential journeys only, with the southern valleys and mid Wales worst hit by the overnight snowfall.

'Worst is over'

North Wales Police said most of the snow on the main routes turned to slush, but in Denbighshire the horseshoe pass was closed.

Up to six inches fell in the worst affected areas on hills, and more snow was forecast for the north east, before it turned to rain later.

"The worst is over," said BBC Wales weatherman Derek Brockway.

"The weekend will be milder, with sunshine and showers on Saturday, but it'll start off wet and windy on Sunday."

The Welsh Ambulance Service decided to prioritise cases on a "need to travel basis" and contacted all healthcare centres and hospitals.

Plane delays

The worst affected areas included Rhondda, Merthyr and Caerphilly, and out-patient appointments considered non-essential were cancelled and re-arranged for later.

Valley Lines said trains from Rhymney and Treherbert to Cardiff were initially subject to disruption, because of problems with crews trying to reach depots but services from the Rhymney and Merthyr lines into Cardiff were running normally again by mid morning.

Passengers on early planes at Cardiff International Airport boarded but were delayed.