WITH the first snow fall of the winter arriving this week Monmouthshire County Council say its prepared for the big freeze.

As temperatures plummeted to -8C, snow fell in Abergavenny on Monday and Tuesday leaving many side streets covered in a blanket of ice and residents hoping there will not be a repeat of last winter when freezing conditions saw grit levels run low and many towns coming to a standstill.

Last winter, gritters covered 55,000 miles of Monmouthshire roads. Salting was carried out on an unprecedented scale which severely diminished stocks and created a Wales-wide problem.

The Chronicle's weather expert Jonathan Powell says we better get used to the wintry weather because it here to stay.

Jonathan, Senior Weather Forecaster at Positive Weather Solutions, said, " We will continually be locked in the current airflow and from here until the end of the year, there will be little change.

"'We can look forward to a continuation of bitterly cold temperatures, with night frosts, and icy road conditions, also the running threat of further snow."

However, Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) says it is prepared for the winter in many departments and services including roads, schools and meals on wheels.

Last year, the council used 4,200 tonnes of salt on the county's roads to keep them open and safe.  This year they have ordered 4,000 tonnes of salt to re-stock the salt barns at the main highways depots at Llanfoist, Raglan and Crick plus they have extra resources at a shared location in Ebbw Vale.

 A spokesman said, "Monmouthshire salts 462 Km of the county roads on a routine basis out of a total of 1,554Km.  We have serviced all of the gritter fleet in readiness and have already been out on a number of occasions this autumn.  All the staff and workforce are ready to cope with the onset of the winter and we have trained additional drivers from our refuse section to assist when required. Highways superintendents have 4x4 vehicles plus we hire vehicles on an ad hoc basis."

The Welsh Local Government Association this week said there were 130,000 tonnes of salt stored with a further 38,000 ordered and due for delivery.

A further 10,000 extra tonnes have been ordered from Sweden, but the WLGA admitted prolonged icy conditions will stretch their supplies.

A spokesperson said, "Since last winter, councils have been preparing extensively for conditions such as these and have taken all the necessary steps to put themselves in a much better position going into the winter compared to last year.

Whilst levels of salt supply remain high at present, gritting teams are working around the clock to keep Wales moving and the WLGA is monitoring stock levels closely with information provided by councils. If the cold spell is prolonged and affects all parts of the country it is inevitable that supplies will start to run down as suppliers will not be able to keep pace with demand."

With regards to school closures MCC say their 'usual' procedures are in place - updating the council website and media contacts. A team of staff employed at the outdoor centres are experienced in mountaineering and cross country in difficult weather and they are able to call on this resource if required. 

Meals on Wheels and Homecare calls are prioritised by managers and the duty team in severe weather but aim to contact all service users whose service is disrupted. 

The service's 4 x 4 is deployed to outlying rural areas if necessary and assistance is also provided by the council's countryside services for rural areas.

Council staff will be able to work at home as many have access to the council's IT system from their computers at home and are able to log-in remotely.

The spokesman added, "The council has arrangements in place to deal with severe weather, along with other emergencies, with directorates striving to make sure our services continue to be delivered throughout the cold spell.

"The authority is also geared to respond from a coordinated perspective with the emergency services and other partner agencies as and when required."

With bitterly cold weather and sub-zero temperatures forecast well into next week, Brecon Breacon National Park wardens are urging local residents to be good neighbours, particularly to the elderly and those who live alone to help them get through the unprecedented  cold spell. 

 With temperatures still below minus 10C in some places, wardens from Brecon Beacons National Park Authority are on standby for local organisations and communities to access the worst affected areas.  

Western Area Warden for Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Paul Chapman is on standby for Meals on Wheels this week after it came close to being cancelled earlier this week. 

He said, "We are trained to work in all weather conditions throughout the year and despite the heavy snow we are determined to see Meals on Wheels get through to some of our most isolated residents in Brecon, Llangorse, Talybont, Sennybridge and Defynnog. 

"The elderly are particularly vulnerable during the winter and many are unable to prepare meals for themselves and or even able to leave their homes during periods of good weather. 

"We are on standby in case the weather takes another turn for the worse and normal deliveries cannot get through.  Meals on Wheels do a fantastic job trying to reach everyone, and it's sometimes the only contact that some of the elderly have with the outside world. 

"With the cold snap due to continue, we are urging residents to be good neighbours,  maybe lay grit down and clear paths for those who are less able,  check that they have heating and fuel, or just offer to pop down to the local shop to restock supplies during this bad spell of weather."

Esther Griffiths, Day Centre Manager for Arosfa Day Centre in Brecon said,  "In Powys we have approximately 35 residents who rely on us for their daily delivery of meals on wheels – with many of them located in isolated and rural areas.  It's been a fantastic relief to have the support and commitment of the National Park Wardens on standby, John Richards - the Meals on Wheels driver - and all our staff and volunteers from the WRVS (Women's Royal Voluntary Service) to continue this service especially when a lot of the roads have become virtually impassable. 

"The National Park Wardens are on standby this week to deliver meals to our usual residents but are also on hand to check on our more vulnerable people in the community who've been left extremely isolated by the adverse weather conditions.

"We are also checking on our regular day visitors who are unable to leave their homes this week because the roads and paths are so hazardous."

 Warden Paul Chapman went on to say, "The roads are treacherous at the moment and we are urging drivers to take extra precautions for their own welfare and to think carefully before undertaking major journeys should conditions like this persist. 

"If you do have to drive through heavy snowfall, try and be prepared by having your mobile phone fully charged, pack extra rugs and blankets in the car, a shovel, and a hot Thermos in case the worst should happen."