Wintry weather has set in for the whole of Wednesday in northern areas and is forecast to linger until late on Thursday before a thaw sets in, heralding mixed conditions over the Easter weekend.
The Meteorological Office map has turned amber – its second highest warning status, for the top part of the UK, down the foot of the Pennine chain in the Midlands. Gale-force winds overnight reached 70mph in upland areas of the north and Scotland and reduced freezing temperatures still further.
Northern Powergrid's engineers worked through the night on faults across the north-east, following Tuesday's breakdown of supplies in Scotland to 11,000 Scottish Hydro customers. Trees weighted with snow were blown down, adding to disruption to power and road traffic.
The main A66 trans-Pennine link between the north-east and Cumbria and the A57 Snake Pass between Sheffield and Manchester closed in both directions and cars experienced difficulties on the M1 and M62 in West Yorkshire. Road conditions were particularly bad in county Durham with the A68 closed by metre-deep drifts north of Tow Law.
The bad weather also reached as far south as the A537 in Cheshire, which suffered disruption as the brief but severe Arctic front of low pressure swung across to Wales. Snowfall overnight reached 20cm (7.8ins) in the Cumbrian fells and down the Pennines to the Peak District.
Chief Supt Andy Reddick of Durham police said 4x4 patrols were checking roads and two drivers had been given emergency accommodation overnight at Barnard Castle on the A66.
He said: "We advise motorists to drive with caution in the adverse conditions, moderate their speed and check their routes in advance. As far as the power outage is concerned we know that every effort is being made to restore electricity but efforts are being hampered by the weather.
"In the meantime I would urge everyone in the affected areas to be good neighbours. If you have an elderly or vulnerable person living near you, please check that they are OK and help them wrap up warm."
Aisling Creevy, forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: "There is currently a band of rain sleet and snow across northern Wales, the north-west Midlands and northern England which will generally move southwards throughout the day leaving very cold and icy conditions behind it. There will also be very strong winds again today after gusts of 66mph were recorded in Warcop in Cumbria overnight.
London and southern England will generally escape although temperatures between 9C (48F) and 12C (53F) will be a third down on Tuesday. Further north, daytime lows of 4C (39F) are expected, falling to -5C (23F) in the north overnight.
The Meteorological Office said: "Rain is expected to turn to snow on high ground as colder air moves south across England and Wales during today. Some 2-5cm of snow is likely in places, mainly above around 200 metres (656ft) with as much as 10-15cm possible above 300 metres. Little, if any, snow is expected to accumulate on roads and pavements below 200 metres. The area of rain, sleet and snow will clear from the north during the day."
Rescue teams dug motorists out of drifts on routes across the North York Moors and worked to salvage a ditched snowplough near Pickering and three lorries stuck at Wetwang on the Yorkshire Wolds.
The white blanket has done little for the UK's drought emergency. Fire warnings remained in place on tinder-dry moorland in the north of England.