A terrific image of a snowplough operating on the Chester Road at Shire Oak yesterday supplied by Maz Sealey. Love it.

Update 9:40am: National Express West Midlands are struggling to get back to normal – their latest service update is here – check before travelling.

Walsall Refuse services are suspended today. Walsall Clean and Green issued the following statement:

MONDAY 11 DECEMBER

Bins service (grey and green bins) will NOT be operating today on the grounds of health and safety. Residents who are not collected today can place up to 2 bags of excess waste out next week. Note – next week there will be a borough wide service due to Christmas collection arrangements commencing.

Flats and trade collections will not be operating today – we will attempt to recover work during the week as conditions improve. We will also arrange for Saturday collections as appropriate.

Right people, the weather – I’m writing this at 12:30am on the Sunday night before the Monday Morning, and unless something remarkable happeneds between now and then, the conditions for tomorrow’s travel are not looking good.

First up: School closure info. You can check out the latest on the Walsall Council Facebook Page here, their twitter here, but they seem to be doing running updates as and when to this post here. There’s also a Facebook page here for Walsall School Closures although obviously, being crowdsourced, the veracity of that cannot be guaranteed.

Staffordshire school closures are listed at this page here.

At time of posting, these schools are closed on Monday 11th December 2017::

The following schools have notified us that they’ll be closed tomorrow. If your school isn’t listed here, please check their website or social media channels. This page will be routinely updated throughout the day, as and when they tell us:

Schools confirmed closed tomorrow (Monday 11 December):
——————-as at 1.40pm——————–
Pool Hayes Academy
Leighswood School & Child care
Mary Elliot Special School
Lane Head Nursery, Rosedale Infant, Short Heath Junior
Queen Mary’s High School
Brownhills West Primary
Jane Lane School
King Charles Primary
Bentley West Primary
Queen Mary’s Grammar School
Palfrey Infant
Greenfield Primary
Christ Church CoE Primary
Beacon Primary
Pool Hayes Primary
Radleys Primary
Goldsmith Academy
Rivers Academy
Millfield Primary
Palfrey Junior
Shepwell Short Stay School (all age groups)
Lodge Farm Primary
St Giles CoE Primary
St Joseph’s Catholic
Sandbank Nursery
Woods Bank Academy
Hillary Primary (Monday & Tuesday)

——————-Update at 2.15pm——————–

Lindens Primary
Rowley View Nursery
Willenhall E-Act
Aldridge School
Walsall Wood Primary
Ryders Hayes
Butts Primary
Leamore Primary
Pool Hayes Academy
St Mary’s the Mount Catholic Primary
Alumwell Junior
Barr Beacon
Chuckery Primary
Caldmore Primary Academy

——————-Update at 2.30pm——————–

Country Bridge Primary
Little Bloxwich CoE Primary
Delves Infant and Primary
Delves Junior
Castlefort JMI

——————-Update at 3.05pm——————–

St Peter’s Catholic Primary
Grace Academy
Meadow View JMI
King’s Hill Primary
St Francis of Assisi CTC
Blue Coat CoE Academy
Alumwell Nursery, Infant and Junior
St Thomas More Catholic
Oakwood
St Bernadette’s Catholic
Moorcroft Wood Primary
Cooper and Jordan CoE Endowed Primary
Ogley Hay Nursery
Rushall Primary
New Invention Infant

Morris looked happy, despite the snow yesterday afternoon.

——————-Update at 3.25pm——————–

Croft Academy
Abbey Primary
Whitehall Nursery & Infant
Lower Farm Primary
Whetstone Field Primary
Holy Trinity CoE Primary
Reedswood E-Act Primary

—————–Update at 5.00pm———————–
New Invention Junior School
St Francis of Assisi Primary
Jospeh Leckie Academy
St Michael’s Primary Pelsall
Busill Jones Primary
Blue Coat Infant and Junior
St James
Old Hall Special School
Fullbrook Nursery School and Little Explorers
St John’s C of E – Walsall Wood
Fibbersley Park Academy
Elmwood School
Phoenix Academy
—————– Update 6.30pm————————-
Millfields Nursery
Jubilee Academy Mossley
Ryders Hayes
Old Church
St. Patrick’s Catholic Primary School
Salisbury Primary School

—————– Update 8pm —————————-

Watling Street Primary School
Castle Business and Enterprise College
Hydesville Tower
Valley Nursery School
Hillary Primary

—————– Update 8.10pm————————-

Elmore Green Primary
Pinfold Street

—————– Update 8.50pm————————-

Whitehall Junior Community School

Further, Walsall College and it’s campuses will be closed as will Little Green Dragons Nursery at Brownhills Community Centre which is closed to the public.

Some local residents don’t seem bothered by the cold.

Gritting and ploughing: Boy, were we having some fun on social media yesterday… Walsall Council issued this update a short time ago. I personally saw gritters and ploughs out around town yesterday, and the depot was working hard. I’d like to thank the crews for their care and hard work.

Walsall Council said:

Right. Here’s a new update for you on gritting.

Our crews will be begin making a final gritting run this evening at 11pm.

Ploughs will clear snow and then 2 lots of treatments will be added during the early hours of tomorrow morning.

(Bear in mind they’ve been operating throughout the day since 2am this morning)

I reiterate that grit is not fairy dust and that people’s expectations as regards it’s effectiveness seem rather high. Take care folks. Want to grumble we don’t cope as well as other countries? Read this great Economist article here, pointed up by old adversary and nice bloke Dan Slee.

Quite a few people seem worried about their refuse service: Personally I could understandd the council canning it due to bad weather, but if today is your normal collection day, they advise you to put your bin out anyway and they’ll get on to it ASAP. Which is pretty reasonable, I think.

Don’t be too upset if the bin wagon doesn’t arrive – they are awful things to drive on icy roads and no refuse collection is worth endangering anyone.

Chasewater was picture-postcard perfect in the snow.

Public transport – all you can do here is check operator Facebook and Social Media accounts before you travel. National Express West Midlands (Facebook page here) who called a halt to services on Sunday said the following this evening:

At this stage we do not know which main roads will be safe to run on from 6am. We will update social media feeds as soon as we receive information on the safe main roads we can use. We have no further information to give this evening.

As to rail services, best check Network Rail here.

Walsall Housing Group have said that all their offices will be closed and only emergencies will be catered for:

whg service update – adverse weather conditions

Severe weather conditions

Due to the current severe weather conditions we will be operating a ‘Sunday service’ only on Monday 11^th December.  Many roads are inaccessible making it very difficult for our repairs team to get to properties so please call only if it’s an emergency.

Our offices and The Workplace will be closed.

Please stay safe and don’t forget to check on your elderly neighbours if you are able to.

If you are a colleague please check your emails or get in touch with your line manager.

For weather advice take a look here

For the latest weather updates, BBC weather