Follow us on Twitter
Updates about weather conditions, potential icy roads and gritting operations are being posted weekdays during the winter period on the official Leeds LCC press office Twitter feed.
Visit the Where I live section using the link on the top of this page to find out where your nearest grit bin is. Gritting routes have now been added to the Leeds Travel Information website. Please see the link to the right of this page and on entry select the gritting routes option in 'Map Icons', the routes covered will then appear on the map.
Winter driving
- Extreme weather conditions and icy roads can make driving more difficult especially in winter. Being prepared you can help make your journey safer and reduce delays for everyone.
- Get up at least 10 minutes earlier and give yourself time to prepare the car. Make sure all windows and mirrors are clear and that wipers and defrosters are in good working condition.
- Check all tyres for condition, pressure and tread depth. At least 3mm of tread is recommended for winter motoring and certainly no less than 2mm. Try to keep your fuel tank topped up.
- Plan routes to favour major roads which are more likely to have been gritted. Let people know where you are going, your route and when you expect to arrive. In extreme weather prepare an emergency kit for your car (see the links on the right).
- Gentle manoeuvres are the key to safe driving. Stopping distances are 10 times longer in ice and snow.
- Make sure you don’t get caught out when bad weather strikes, see the winter driving advice in the external links.
Stay safe in the ice and snow
- Make a note of important phone numbers such as NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 and West Yorkshire Urgent Care Services on 0345 605 99 99, your gas, water and electricity suppliers and friends, carers, relatives and neighbours.
- Keep up to date on weather warnings by listening to the local radio, visiting the Met Office website.
- Check on elderly friends and relatives
Bin collections
When streets and pavements are affected by ice or snow bin collections can be disrupted. Please check this website and local media for any announcements.
How do we know when ice or snow is on the way?
We monitor the weather day and night seven days a week from October to March.
We aim to keep the most important roads and some major foot fall areas in Leeds safe and as free as possible from wintry hazards.
Salt and grit
To do this we spread salt and grit to prevent ice and snow forming. If snow settles we use ploughs to help keep the roads clear.
The main salt spreading routes include all the main roads, most other busy roads, most bus routes as well as access to hospitals and emergency services. These are always salted when any wintry hazards are forecast and get priority attention during prolonged wintry weather.
If wintry conditions persist and we have treated these roads then we will begin to treat the other roads. We aim to treat footpaths and paved areas if there is snow or frost over a longer period.
Because it's impossible for the gritters to spread salt on every road in Leeds we provide salt bins on steep roads or busy footpaths to help people clear ice and snow themselves if necessary. Salt bins will be refilled when resources become available, provided the main salting routes and other busy roads have been attended. You can contact us to make a request.
Snow
When snow is forecast salt is spread on the roads to slow the rate of snow settling. Salt alone has very little effect on snow. Once the snow is about about 25mm or 1 inch it is deep enough to plough.
Partner of the Year
Shadwell Parish Council wanted to improve the winter maintenance service provided in their area, particularly during prolonged snow periods. They appreciated that an enhanced service could not be funded or resourced by the City Council and so they took the decision to work with LCC to directly provide a complimentary service. A contractor was employed, gritting routes were set up, co-ordinated with our own, so both parties knew what the other was doing. They don't have formally appointed snow wardens, but the Parish Council round up volunteers for footway clearing, all in accordance with the government and our own guidance available on the website. Shadwell Parish Council have received compliments for their efforts and will be repeating this next winter. This could be used as a model for other communities and we welcome further enquiries.
What you can do
- check the forecast as the Met Office usually gives advance warning of bad weather conditions
- allow extra time for a journey
- remember that ice is most likely to occur between 6am and 8am
- if a road has not been treated keep your speed down.
Icy or snowy roads are usually passable if you are careful and drive sensibly. Traffic will be slower and congestion is inevitable especially at peak periods.
Contacting us
Contact us using the webform below.
Alternatively, you can call 0113 222 4407 between 08:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday.
If you need to report an emergency out of normal office hours please ring 0113 3760499
