Heavy snow is expected in parts of Scotland today, with forecasters warning of blizzard conditions and bitterly cold temperatures.
The Met Office issued alerts for central Scotland, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, the Highlands and the Borders, where 4in-8in (10cm-20cm) of snow is expected to fall, accompanied by strong to gale-force winds in some areas.
Forecasters had warned that the snow storms would arrive overnight and into Monday morning, but the worst of the conditions are now expected into the afternoon and evening.
People should be prepared for the risk of disruption to travel and power supplies as temperatures hover around the freezing mark, forecasters said.
Several roads were closed in the Grampian area, including the A941 Dufftown to Rhynie route and the B974 Banchory to Fettercairn road. The A93 Aboyne to Ballater route was passable with care.
Elsewhere, there were warnings of high winds on the Forth Road Bridge.
Drivers were advised to be aware of reduced visibility, obscured road markings and the risk of ice patches.
Rail routes remained unaffected but there were several flight cancellations between London City, Heathrow and the East Midlands to Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports.
In the Borders, where council officials held a teleconference with Met Office advisers this morning, more than a dozen schools were closed.
A statement said: “Council officials are monitoring the weather as the Borders continues to be battered by heavy snow, gale-force winds and freezing temperatures.
“The snow has reached the Borders area later than anticipated and we are not experiencing the main impact of the snow yet.”
For a full round-up of how the weather affects Tayside and Fife, see Tuesday’s Courier or try our new digital edition.