Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are experiencing the ninth consecutive day of severe winter weather, leading to extensive disruption across the region.
As of Friday (January 9 2026), an existing weather warning for snow and ice is in place until noon today, and the Met Office has also issued a new yellow weather warning for snow and ice on Sunday (January 11 2026). It says snowfall will cause disruption on the east coast and in the north. The warning is in place from 2am to 3pm on Sunday.
The prolonged cold snap, which commenced at the start of the new year, has seen the area hit by multiple Met Office warnings, including three amber alerts for heavy snowfall. This continuous adverse weather has significantly impacted daily life and business operations.
Impact on Infrastructure and Services
Transportation networks have borne the brunt of the conditions. Aberdeen Airport reported significant snowfall overnight and is “monitoring the situation closely with weather warnings in place and will conduct more snow clearing when necessary to ensure the safety of our operations.”
Passengers are advised to check flight statuses and exercise caution when travelling to the airport.
Rail services have also faced disruption, although lines from Aberdeen to Dundee and Inverness were confirmed open this morning after patrol locomotives cleared drifting snow. However, routes to Kyle of Lochalsh and Thurso/Wick remain affected.
Road maintenance teams are working tirelessly to keep critical routes open. Aberdeen City Council has deployed 31 diggers from contractors to address side streets, complementing its gritting efforts across the city’s 620 miles of roads and 1,242 miles of pavements.
The council reiterated its plea for patience, stating: “Our gritter drivers, people doing pavement gritting, and the digger contractors are all doing their best to get as much done as possible. We know it’s frustrating for residents but we just cannot be everywhere at once.”
An additional 4,000 tonnes of salt was delivered to Aberdeenshire, where council crews continue to clear primary routes that “took a fair hit from those snow levels.”
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Aberdeenshire Council has mobilised its robust Winter Maintenance Plan, deploying 150 pre-planned ploughs, including 120 farmer ploughs and 30 contractor ploughs, supplemented by over 50 additional pieces of equipment during this event.
Education and Public Amenities
Schools across both Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire have faced extensive closures, with today marking the fifth day for many pupils. This has effectively extended the Christmas holidays, although remote learning has been provided in some instances. Bin collections in Aberdeen City were cancelled on Wednesday, January 7, with residents advised to hold waste until their next scheduled collection, with extra bags permitted. Collections for Friday, January 9, are currently set to proceed.
The First Minister, John Swinney, has acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating that the focus is now on recovery efforts following days of heavy snow which have brought disruption to northern Scotland.
