By . Larisa Brown and Ben Spencer . PUBLISHED: . 05:46 EST, 27 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:55 EST, 27 October 2012 . Many will be pleased at having an extra hour in bed tomorrow as the first cold snap of the season arrived 'with a bang' just in time for the clocks being put back. Some parts of the UK have been as cold as Moscow this weekend as the winter chill brought temperatures below freezing. And forecasters warn the brisk weather conditions are here to stay as winter has finally arrived. Snow one nose why it's so cold: A deer brave the chilly weather as a thick blanket of snow contrasts with the autumnal colours near Durham . Winter woollies: Hugh Ward braves the cold weather with his dog Barney, a rough haired terrier cross, in Peterlee, County Durham . Freeze on wheels: A cyclist braves the icy weather as snow covers the ground in Peterlee . Met forecaster Helen Roberts said: 'Winter has certainly arrived with a bang this weekend as the clocks are due to go back. 'It has been a pretty cold day across the country with temperatures in many places below freezing this morning. 'The temperatures will be slightly warmer on Sunday but it will still feel very cold as cloud and rain will cover much of the country. 'It will remain cold in the beginning of next week but by Wednesday we are expecting very wet and windy conditions that will stay for several days.' Winter is here: A red deer stag looks for food in a bracken thicket after sunrise in Richmond Park today as much of the UK experienced its first cold snap of winter . Rain is on the way: But while Saturday remained dry, forecasters warn that rain and cloud will cover much of the country on Sunday . Just in time: Two fallow deer bucks stand next to a herd of doe in Richmond Park as chilly weather settles in . Changing seasons: Some parts of the UK were as cold as Moscow as temperatures dropped below freezing . It comes after early snow brought chaos on the roads today with a lorry jack-knifed during blizzard conditions on the A1 in County Durham causing a six-mile tailback of traffic. Northern counties yesterday saw the . first snow of winter and last night temperatures in southern England were . expected to fall to a chilly -2C. Hundreds . of gritters were on standby to treat roads around the country as forecasters warned some areas were as cold as Moscow. Victoria Kettley, a forecaster for . MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: 'We . can't rule out more wintry showers - these might fall as snow very . locally on high ground like the North York Moors, but will generally be . sleet, rain or hail. 'Temperatures will be between about 7C and 10C, and in central Scotland overnight won't get above 4C or 5C.' Kicking up a storm: The wind and rough sea produced foam along the shoreline in Hornsea, Yorkshire . Rough seas: A family brave the chill winds to frolic in the foam caused by the wintery weather at Hornsea, Yorkshire . Councils in England and Wales have . stockpiled 1.3million ton of salt for gritting roads – enough to fill . more than 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools and twice as much as was used . last winter. There was snow on the ground in . Scotland and Northumberland yesterday, leaving a dusting on fields and . pavements as temperatures dipped below zero. A . Met Office spokesman said yesterday the snow was falling much earlier . than last year, when snowflakes were not reported until December. Charlie . Powell, a spokesman for the Met Office said: 'Some parts of the country . are as cold as Moscow. Those in Northumberland are experiencing temperatures between 3 and 4C. 'Overnight temperatures could drop to as low as -2C with a frosty start to the day tomorrow for many. Snow chaos: A jack-knifed on the Ai causing a huge traffic jam in County Durham during blizzard conditions . Country scene: Early morning deer brave the chilly weather as a thick blanket of show contrasts with the autumnal coloured trees near Durham City . Wrapped up:  Friends Janet Julian and Margaret . Brennan brave the elements in South Yorkshire while Luke Thomas 7, has . fun sledging in the snow  in Barnard Castle, County Durham, this morning . Joke: A fun message for a motorist in Newcastle after the snow blanketed his car . It's snowing! Walkers wrap up warm and enjoy the bitterly cold weather this morning . Cattle huddle for warmth as heavy snow falls in the hills near Huntly in Aberdeenshire . 'In . the north east there could be 2cm of snow today and parts of northern . Scotland could see up to 5cm of snow throughout the next 24 hours. 'Parts of Lincolnshire and East Anglia could see sleet and hail showers today but I don't think we will see anything settling. 'We . are experiencing a two day cold snap today and tomorrow. On Monday it . will be back to wet and windy and temperatures where they should be, as . high as 4 and 6C.' Thankfully, the weather is not yet quite as bad as in the U.S., where a state of emergency was declared today. Officials in New York and New Jersey warned the already-killer Hurricane Sandy barrelling toward the East coast will be the worst case scenario. Tony Conlan, a forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said some areas of lower ground in Scotland saw their first meaningful snow, and a 'wintry mix' of rain, sleet, hail and some snow will continue until late on Saturday. Snowy suburb: Cars get a heavy dusting in the streets of Newcastle upon Tyne this morning . Autumn leaves are painted white by snow fall in a forest in Northumberland today . 'It will be colder today than it has been, with temperatures typically ranging from 2C (36F) in parts of the Scottish highlands to 10 or 11C (50-52F) in the far west of England' he said. 'Late on Saturday night there should . be milder air coming in from the north west making it warmer on Sunday, . but still not very pleasant, with rain just about everywhere.' The Local Government Association (LGA) said that hundreds of gritters are on standby to treat roads as required on the last day of British Summer Time before the clocks go back. An LGA survey of councils across . England and Wales found there is currently about 1.3 million tonnes of . salt in council depots - enough to fill more than 400 Olympic-sized . swimming pools. This is about twice as much as was used during last winter. Gritters prepare for the wintry weather on the A9 in Scotland . Chill: Resident Craig Robertson walks through the snow in Lumsden, Aberdeenshire . States of emergency: The East Coast of the U.S. is bracing for impact from the terrifying Hurricane Sandy . A spokesman said: 'Councils have invested in new fleets of GPS-tracked gritting trucks, mini-gritters and specialist vehicles for narrow and hilly streets. 'Thousands of grit bins have been placed in estates and side streets, residents have been given their own bags of salt along with salt spreaders in some neighbourhoods, and arrangements have been made with parish councils, farmers and community groups to grit hard-to-reach areas.' Couple Helen and Jamie Sims stopped near to Kielder Forest in Northumberland so they could enjoy the pretty scenes as they drove from their home in Edinburgh to London. Helen said: 'We’re originally from . New Zealand so we haven’t seen much snow before. We weren’t expecting it . so we stopped the car to enjoy the view.' Janet . Julian and her sister Margaret Brennan also stopped on their drive from . South Yorkshire as they made their way to a holiday cottage in Fife. Janet said: 'We drive this route because it’s scenic, the snow is like an added bonus.' Picturesque: A rose covered in snow in Scotland as temperatures drop . As strengthening winds and cold air spread across Britain from Scotland, a group of body-boarders make the most of the big waves in the North Bay, Scarborough . Thousands of migrating birds have been dying before reaching England this week because of an appalling combination of fog and winds around the coast. Fishermen have discovered many exhausted and disorientated 'garden' birds plunging into the sea around their vessels, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). England's east coast, from Northumberland to Kent, has seen the arrival of many birds, including redwings, fieldfares, bramblings and blackbirds, perhaps numbering in their millions. The charity said these were the lucky survivors which had managed to cross the North Sea, but many others might have perished before making landfall. The skipper of a boat said: 'While fishing about 10 miles south of Portsmouth, we witnessed thousands of garden birds disorientated, land on the sea and most drowning. 'Species included goldcrests, robins, thrushes and blackbirds. The sky was thick with garden birds. I estimate I saw 500 birds die and that was just in our 300-yard sphere.' Martin Harper, the RSPB's conservation director, said: 'The scale of these reports is truly shocking, and it has the potential to adversely affect the status of species which may be declining for other reasons.'
Temperatures as cold as Moscow as chill of winter hits the north-east .
Parts of Scotland could see up to 5cm of snow and north-east up to 2cm .
Six-mile jam as lorry jack-knifes on the A1 in County Durham during blizzard .
Sleet and hail showers to affect parts of Lincolnshire and East Anglia .
Forecasters said snow falling two months earlier than last year .
Salt gritters on alert as the clocks turn back at midnight .
By . Larisa Brown and Ben Spencer . PUBLISHED: . 05:46 EST, 27 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:55 EST, 27 October 2012 . Many will be pleased at having an extra hour in bed tomorrow as the first cold snap of the season arrived 'with a bang' just in time for the clocks being put back. Some parts of the UK have been as cold as Moscow this weekend as the winter chill brought temperatures below freezing. And forecasters warn the brisk weather conditions are here to stay as winter has finally arrived. Snow one nose why it's so cold: A deer brave the chilly weather as a thick blanket of snow contrasts with the autumnal colours near Durham . Winter woollies: Hugh Ward braves the cold weather with his dog Barney, a rough haired terrier cross, in Peterlee, County Durham . Freeze on wheels: A cyclist braves the icy weather as snow covers the ground in Peterlee . Met forecaster Helen Roberts said: 'Winter has certainly arrived with a bang this weekend as the clocks are due to go back. 'It has been a pretty cold day across the country with temperatures in many places below freezing this morning. 'The temperatures will be slightly warmer on Sunday but it will still feel very cold as cloud and rain will cover much of the country. 'It will remain cold in the beginning of next week but by Wednesday we are expecting very wet and windy conditions that will stay for several days.' Winter is here: A red deer stag looks for food in a bracken thicket after sunrise in Richmond Park today as much of the UK experienced its first cold snap of winter . Rain is on the way: But while Saturday remained dry, forecasters warn that rain and cloud will cover much of the country on Sunday . Just in time: Two fallow deer bucks stand next to a herd of doe in Richmond Park as chilly weather settles in . Changing seasons: Some parts of the UK were as cold as Moscow as temperatures dropped below freezing . It comes after early snow brought chaos on the roads today with a lorry jack-knifed during blizzard conditions on the A1 in County Durham causing a six-mile tailback of traffic. Northern counties yesterday saw the . first snow of winter and last night temperatures in southern England were . expected to fall to a chilly -2C. Hundreds . of gritters were on standby to treat roads around the country as forecasters warned some areas were as cold as Moscow. Victoria Kettley, a forecaster for . MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: 'We . can't rule out more wintry showers - these might fall as snow very . locally on high ground like the North York Moors, but will generally be . sleet, rain or hail. 'Temperatures will be between about 7C and 10C, and in central Scotland overnight won't get above 4C or 5C.' Kicking up a storm: The wind and rough sea produced foam along the shoreline in Hornsea, Yorkshire . Rough seas: A family brave the chill winds to frolic in the foam caused by the wintery weather at Hornsea, Yorkshire . Councils in England and Wales have . stockpiled 1.3million ton of salt for gritting roads – enough to fill . more than 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools and twice as much as was used . last winter. There was snow on the ground in . Scotland and Northumberland yesterday, leaving a dusting on fields and . pavements as temperatures dipped below zero. A . Met Office spokesman said yesterday the snow was falling much earlier . than last year, when snowflakes were not reported until December. Charlie . Powell, a spokesman for the Met Office said: 'Some parts of the country . are as cold as Moscow. Those in Northumberland are experiencing temperatures between 3 and 4C. 'Overnight temperatures could drop to as low as -2C with a frosty start to the day tomorrow for many. Snow chaos: A jack-knifed on the Ai causing a huge traffic jam in County Durham during blizzard conditions . Country scene: Early morning deer brave the chilly weather as a thick blanket of show contrasts with the autumnal coloured trees near Durham City . Wrapped up:  Friends Janet Julian and Margaret . Brennan brave the elements in South Yorkshire while Luke Thomas 7, has . fun sledging in the snow  in Barnard Castle, County Durham, this morning . Joke: A fun message for a motorist in Newcastle after the snow blanketed his car . It's snowing! Walkers wrap up warm and enjoy the bitterly cold weather this morning . Cattle huddle for warmth as heavy snow falls in the hills near Huntly in Aberdeenshire . 'In . the north east there could be 2cm of snow today and parts of northern . Scotland could see up to 5cm of snow throughout the next 24 hours. 'Parts of Lincolnshire and East Anglia could see sleet and hail showers today but I don't think we will see anything settling. 'We . are experiencing a two day cold snap today and tomorrow. On Monday it . will be back to wet and windy and temperatures where they should be, as . high as 4 and 6C.' Thankfully, the weather is not yet quite as bad as in the U.S., where a state of emergency was declared today. Officials in New York and New Jersey warned the already-killer Hurricane Sandy barrelling toward the East coast will be the worst case scenario. Tony Conlan, a forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said some areas of lower ground in Scotland saw their first meaningful snow, and a 'wintry mix' of rain, sleet, hail and some snow will continue until late on Saturday. Snowy suburb: Cars get a heavy dusting in the streets of Newcastle upon Tyne this morning . Autumn leaves are painted white by snow fall in a forest in Northumberland today . 'It will be colder today than it has been, with temperatures typically ranging from 2C (36F) in parts of the Scottish highlands to 10 or 11C (50-52F) in the far west of England' he said. 'Late on Saturday night there should . be milder air coming in from the north west making it warmer on Sunday, . but still not very pleasant, with rain just about everywhere.' The Local Government Association (LGA) said that hundreds of gritters are on standby to treat roads as required on the last day of British Summer Time before the clocks go back. An LGA survey of councils across . England and Wales found there is currently about 1.3 million tonnes of . salt in council depots - enough to fill more than 400 Olympic-sized . swimming pools. This is about twice as much as was used during last winter. Gritters prepare for the wintry weather on the A9 in Scotland . Chill: Resident Craig Robertson walks through the snow in Lumsden, Aberdeenshire . States of emergency: The East Coast of the U.S. is bracing for impact from the terrifying Hurricane Sandy . A spokesman said: 'Councils have invested in new fleets of GPS-tracked gritting trucks, mini-gritters and specialist vehicles for narrow and hilly streets. 'Thousands of grit bins have been placed in estates and side streets, residents have been given their own bags of salt along with salt spreaders in some neighbourhoods, and arrangements have been made with parish councils, farmers and community groups to grit hard-to-reach areas.' Couple Helen and Jamie Sims stopped near to Kielder Forest in Northumberland so they could enjoy the pretty scenes as they drove from their home in Edinburgh to London. Helen said: 'We’re originally from . New Zealand so we haven’t seen much snow before. We weren’t expecting it . so we stopped the car to enjoy the view.' Janet . Julian and her sister Margaret Brennan also stopped on their drive from . South Yorkshire as they made their way to a holiday cottage in Fife. Janet said: 'We drive this route because it’s scenic, the snow is like an added bonus.' Picturesque: A rose covered in snow in Scotland as temperatures drop . As strengthening winds and cold air spread across Britain from Scotland, a group of body-boarders make the most of the big waves in the North Bay, Scarborough . Thousands of migrating birds have been dying before reaching England this week because of an appalling combination of fog and winds around the coast. Fishermen have discovered many exhausted and disorientated 'garden' birds plunging into the sea around their vessels, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). England's east coast, from Northumberland to Kent, has seen the arrival of many birds, including redwings, fieldfares, bramblings and blackbirds, perhaps numbering in their millions. The charity said these were the lucky survivors which had managed to cross the North Sea, but many others might have perished before making landfall. The skipper of a boat said: 'While fishing about 10 miles south of Portsmouth, we witnessed thousands of garden birds disorientated, land on the sea and most drowning. 'Species included goldcrests, robins, thrushes and blackbirds. The sky was thick with garden birds. I estimate I saw 500 birds die and that was just in our 300-yard sphere.' Martin Harper, the RSPB's conservation director, said: 'The scale of these reports is truly shocking, and it has the potential to adversely affect the status of species which may be declining for other reasons.'
parts of the UK have been as cold as Moscow this weekend as the winter chill brought temperatures blizzard conditions on the A1 in County Durham falling much earlier . than last year, when traffic jam in County Durham during blizzard and parts of northern . Scotland could see up to 5cm of snow throughout the next 24 hours. 'Parts of Lincolnshire and East Anglia could see sleet