NOTTS is braced for another freezing weekend as winter returns with a vengeance.

The first snow flurries hit yesterday afternoon, with snowflakes falling in Nuthall, Mansfield and Gedling.

The Met Office was forecasting between two and five centimetres of snow in the county overnight.

On Wednesday night, temperatures were as low as -2.5°C, and the mercury was set to drop to between -4°C and -6°C last night.

Further snow was also expected today, before another heavy frost tonight.

Helen Chivers, a forecaster at the Met Office, said the cold snap had come to the UK from Scandinavia and northern Europe.

But councils said they were well-prepared for any potential disruption.

Notts County Council gritting crews were out salting the county's main routes from 1pm yesterday and during the night.

Its salt stock currently stands at 15,700 tonnes with a further 1,750 tonnes expected to be delivered shortly.

The council has also signed up 63 local farmers to help with the gritting if conditions deteriorate, as well as 85 snow wardens in local villages.

It has also trained members of staff to drive 4x4 vehicles so that they can help deliver essential services in severe weather.

Coun Richard Jackson, the County Council's cabinet member for transport and highways called for people to pitch in and help where they could.

"I'd urge everyone to do their bit and together we can keep Notts on the move," he said.

Nottingham City Council had gritters working on priority routes yesterday, and said it would be working with schools and bin men to keep their services running smoothly.

A spokesman for Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, said there had been no significant increases in injuries so far because of the cold weather.

But Raza Dar, head of the emergency department at the QMC, told people to take precautions.

"My main advice to people is to take care of yourself. If it's cold, then wrap up warm and take care if there is snow or ice around," he said.

"People can also prepare for cold snaps by making sure any prescriptions are up to date and by having a well-stocked medicine cabinet."

Meanwhile, pensioners have also been advised not to miss out on cold weather payments.

Pensioners minister Steve Webb said some pensioners receiving pension credit may not be claiming it. They are automatically entitled to a cold weather payment if average temperatures are recorded as or forecast to be 0°C or colder over seven consecutive days. For details, call 0800 99 1234.

Send us your snowman photographs to library@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk and newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk.