Drivers have described 'scary' scenes on the M62 overnight as cars were left 'completely stuck' for hours in heavy snow.
Motorists likened the scene on the motorway overnight to 'carnage' as closures were put in place on both sides over the Pennines and up to Rochdale due to the blizzard. The motorway was fully shut for an hour at one point, causing huge tailbacks that are continuing this morning.
Some drivers said they were stuck for as long as seven hours while others abandoned their cars in the treacherous conditions. Kim Ward told the BBC that she was left 'stranded' and 'freezing' and had 'never seen anything like' the conditions before.
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She was on her way home to Halifax from Manchester with her family when their car got stuck. "We are still stranded at the moment," Kim told BBC's Radio 5 Live's Rachel Burden early this morning.
Kim, who went to a concert in Manchester with her sister-in-law, a niece and a friend, said they had considered not travelling last night, but had assumed their car - a 4x4 - would cope in the conditions. But the return journey turned out to be worse than expected.
"The M62 was shut, so we thought we would take the A road," she said. "We thought we would be alright, but as we got higher and higher, it just got worse and worse.
"We spent a couple of hours completely stuck, freezing - we actually started nodding off in the car. Next thing we knew mountain rescue were knocking on the window with their torches. They brought us here this morning."
She added: "I have been on numerous ski holidays, but I have never seen anything like it, up on the top there. It's scary, thinking you are going to actually spend the night here in the car."
Palwasha Afzal, 23, began her journey from Manchester to Huddersfield at midnight - and is still on the motorway nine hours later. The drive usually takes around an hour but she has been caught in the motorway weather chaos.
The credit hire consultant said: "I'm still travelling on the motorway, travelling from Manchester to Huddersfield, we left at 12am and we're currently still here.
"The motorway is horrific. There's lorries broken down, cars broken down, there's lorries spinned on the motorway it's horrible.
"We've been here for nine hours. Honestly, I'm drained. Luckily my husband is driving not me."
David Stubbins told the BBC he had set off from Wigan at around 11pm on Thursday for a journey to Wakefield. At 2:10am this morning he was stuck on the M62 near Rochdale and didn’t have much hope of arriving before 4am.
"We’ve just been stationary for pretty much over an hour now. We were creeping along for a while, but then for some reason we just ground to a halt" he said.
"The gusts [of wind] are just crazy. They’re rocking the van I’m in all over the place. Luckily I’ve got some crisps and some water and a lot podcasts, and hopefully that’ll see me through the night."
More motorists described the scene as they left comments on the Manchester Evening News' Facebook page this morning. Sally Ellerington said: "My daughter, son in law and 2 friends have been stuck in it since 1 this morning coming back home to hull, and they are still no where near."
Lee Rothwell commented: "Been stuck in from milnrow, moved about a mile in 2 hours…. Not sure why they haven’t just closed the Motorway, clear the stuck vehicles and stop it from getting worse."
Sean Brown said in a comment: "5 hours and counting. 40 miles to go!! Thousands of vehicles stuck."
This morning, the M62 remains partially blocked both ways between junction 21 for Milnrow and junction 24 for Ainley Top. National Highways said at 7.15am that delays of at least three hours remained on the eastbound carriageway.
They added that work was continuing to treat the motorway with gritters and ploughs. They said salt-spreading was carried out on 'key routes' yesterday.
In full, the statement said: "National Highways is advising drivers that lane closures remain in place on the M62 in Greater Manchester while work continues to treat the carriageway with gritters and ploughs. Heavy snowfall caused hours of delays between junctions 21 (Milnrow) and 22 (Denshaw) in the early hours of the morning and lane closures were put in place in both directions.
"Work has been ongoing around the clock, although gritters and ploughs were hampered in their efforts by some road users illegally blocking the hard shoulder and Red-X lanes. Lane 1 is still closed eastbound, with eight miles of congestion and 90-minute journey delays.
"Lane 1 is also closed westbound, where there is one mile of congestion and 10-minute delays. After yesterday’s severe weather alert National Highways staff spent the day spreading salt on key routes in preparation for the testing conditions.
"The alert continued into this morning. National Highways is asking everyone travelling in the region to consider if their journey is essential and to go prepared.
"Further information is available from National Highways by visiting www.trafficengland.com and the Twitter account @HighwaysNWEST. For urgent real-time assistance, our 24/7 contact centre team is able to provide up-to-the minute information on 0300 123 5000."
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