And with colder weather at the start of 2026, people can follow the activities of the newly named gritters’ journeys on cold winter nights through the online gritter tracker.

In 2025, Oxfordshire County Council and its highways maintenance contractor M Group announced a competition to name the 30 gritting lorries that ensure that the county’s roads keep moving and stay safe when the cold weather hits. Nearly 1,500 suggestions were received.

Wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Chur-chill and his Woodstock birthplace of Blenheim Pal-ice made the cut, along with Wantage-born King Alfred the Grit.

People would be right to suspect that Wallingford’s queen of the whodunnits Agatha Gritstie was a popular choice, while Oxford’s most famous fictional detective Endeavour Morse has been immortalised as Inspector Norse. The late actor who played him, the appropriately named John Thaw, was also chosen.

There will be no surprises that local rock legends Radiohead – fresh from their sell-out comeback tour – had a vehicle, Radiospread, named after them.

Sir Roger Ban-ice-ster, who broke the four minute mile barrier at Oxford’s Iffley Road running track in 1954, was a worthy recipient, along with the late footballer Joey Beauchamp – regarded by many as the greatest player in Oxford United’s history. Snowy Beauchamp was chosen to honour him.

Groundbreaking Oxford-born cosmologist Professor Stephen Thawking and Snowdo Baggins – named after Frodo Baggins, a character in Oxford don JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit – made the grade.

Oxfordshire landmarks Shotover Hill and the Wittenham Clumps – aka Shotover Chill and Grittenham Clumps – were also among the successful public suggestions.

The process followed the appeal in October, which put an emphasis on names with local significance, inspired by Oxfordshire’s rich history and cultural importance.

A shortlist was compiled from the 1,480 suggestions received, with the gritter drivers themselves choosing the winners.

Listeners to the BBC Radio Oxford Breakfast Show took part as well, coming up with three of the names.

Pupils from the schools closest to the council’s depots where the gritters and salt barns are based – Woodcote Primary, Deddington CE Primary and Drayton Community Primary – also chose three names each. The children will get the chance to meet their gritters later this winter.

Two vehicles were named in tribute to gritter drivers and supervisors who died recently, while Blizzard of Ozz was a nod to Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away earlier this year. While not local, the cover of their debut album was photographed on the Mapledurham estate in Oxfordshire.

The names in full

• Bossy
• Monster Rich
• Snow-bi Wan Kenobi
• Robin the Great
• Duck, Duck, Grit
• Draytonator!
• Did You Just In-Salt Me?
• Great Gritain
• Hansel and Gritel
• Gritasaurus
• Ready, Spready, Go
• Elvis Spreadley
• Inspector Norse
• Agatha Gritstie
• Snowy Beauchamp
• Gritty Gritty Bang Bang
• Sir Winston Chur-chill
• Shotover Chill
• Snowdo Baggins
• Radiospread
• Professor Stephen Thawking
• Claudia Sprinkleman
• Blenheim Pal-ice
• Sir Roger Ban-ice-ster
• Grittenham Clumps
• Grittmeister 5000
• Alfred the Grit
• Spready Mercury
• John Thaw
• Blizzard of Ozz.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Thank you to everyone who took part in helping us name these gritters. It’s been great fun and Oxfordshire’s residents have come up with some wonderful ideas.

“Our gritter drivers do an amazing job at the most unsociable hours and in the coldest temperatures, helping to make our roads safer. If you do find yourself behind one of them, which are restricted to 30mph when they are carrying out their work, so please be patient and considerate – they are there to keep you safe.

“And remember that while we make great efforts to keep roads clear in winter, drivers must never assume that a road will be free from ice and should adjust their driving to suit the conditions.”

The fleet of gritting vehicles consist of 15 26 tonne trucks, 12 18 tonne vehicles, two 7.5 tonne trucks and one 3.5 tonne ‘baby gritter’, to treat very narrow roads and the park and rides. In total, 30 vehicles are stationed at three winter depots across the county, ready for when the temperatures drop.

Every time the temperature drops below freezing, the gritters hit the highways to spread salt and make our motorists safer. They’ve already been out several times this winter.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “Naming our new gritters has been a lot of fun but does bring into focus the hard work that goes into ensuring that Oxfordshire is ‘winter ready’, and highlights the huge effort required, throughout the winter period, to keep our roads as safe as possible.

“Our drivers enjoyed voting on the names that the public suggested and we hope you recognise a few names as the fleet heads out across Oxfordshire over the next few months.”

The fleet of gritting vehicles consist of 15 26 tonne trucks, 12 18 tonne vehicles, two 7.5 tonne trucks and one 3.5 tonne ‘baby gritter’, to treat very narrow roads and the park and rides. In total, 30 vehicles are stationed at three winter depots across the county, ready for when the temperatures drop.

The three covered salt barns in Woodcote, Deddington and Drayton, near Abingdon, keep around 10,000 tonnes of road salt dry and in optimum condition for use by 54 specialist gritter drivers.

The council salts approximately 42 per cent of Oxfordshire’s road network, one of the highest rates in the country.

While Oxford City Council looks after the gritting inside the Oxford ring road, Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for the rest of the county – including all A roads, B roads and some C roads, apart from the M40, A43 and A34, which are covered by National Highways.

Oxfordshire’s gritter drivers treat 27 routes across the county in each gritting session, covering over 3,500km in total, of which 1,960km (1,200 miles) are salted – the equivalent of travelling from London to Iceland.

Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Now we are looking to name the fleet. And we need your help.

What do you want to see them called? If you’ve got a good idea, we want to hear it. Who knows – you might get to see your suggestion emblazoned on the side of one of our gritters.

We’d particularly love to see some names with local significance. Maybe you’ll be inspired by Oxfordshire’s rich history and cultural importance.

We’ve got plenty of famous authors to choose from, such as George Thaw-well, Lew-ice Carroll, JRR Saltbin or Sir Chill-ip Pullman? How about crime writers Dame Agatha Gritsie or Coolin’ Dexter and his famous fictional detective Inspector Morse (or perhaps Inspector Norse)? Or the actor who played him – the appropriately named John Thaw?

Maybe there should be a tribute to Wantage-born monarch King Alfred the Grit, or Blenheim Palace-born wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Chur-chill? What about patron saint of Oxford Saint Frideswide (or should that be Saint Slideswide) or local actor and comedian Hugh Lorry?

Music fans might want a nod to legendary Oxford band Radiospread, or veteran DJ and broadcaster Whispering Bobsleigh Harris.

While football supporters may well want to give Oxford United a mention, perhaps through Milk Cup-winning manager Maur-ice Evans or club legend Snowy Beauchamp.

So, get your thinking caps on and send us your suggestions. Maybe you can help us spread a few smiles as well as the salt.

Entries can be submitted to Let’s Talk Oxfordshire by 5 November.

We’ll sort through the best and then our drivers will pick the winners – after all, they’re the ones who’ll be behind the wheel.

Other names are being by suggested by pupils from the primary schools nearest to the council’s three deports – in Deddington, Drayton near Abingdon, and Woodcote – and by listeners to the Radio Oxford Breakfast Show.

Once they’re named, it’s hoped people will be able to trace their journeys on cold winter nights through our gritter tracker.

Oxfordshire County Council and its highways maintenance contractor, M Group, work hard to ensure that the county’s roads keep moving and stay safe when the colder weather hits.

There are three covered stores around the county, keeping over 10,000 tonnes of road salt dry and in optimum condition for use by our 54 specialist gritter drivers.

The fleet of gritting vehicles consist of 15 26 tonne trucks, 12 18 tonne vehicles, two 7.5 tonne trucks and one 3.5 tonne ‘baby gritter’, to treat very narrow roads and the park and rides. In total, 30 vehicles are stationed at three winter depots across the county, ready for when the temperatures drop.

The council salts approximately 42 per cent of Oxfordshire’s road network, one of the highest rates in the country.

While Oxford City Council looks after the gritting inside the Oxford ring road, Oxfordshire County Council has responsibility for the rest of the county – including all A roads, B roads and some C roads, apart from the M40, A43 and A34, which are covered by National Highways.

Our gritter drivers treat 27 routes across the county in each gritting session, covering over 3,500km in total, of which 1,960km (1,200 miles) are salted – that’s the equivalent of travelling from London to Iceland.

Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council and its highways maintenance contractor, Milestone Infrastructure, have worked hard to ensure that the county’s roads keep moving and stay safe when the colder weather hits – as it did earlier this week – while also reducing long-term costs and environmental impacts.

The new salt barn at the Deddington highways depot, near Banbury, was built by Ryebridge Construction on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council. The barn keeps road salt in the optimum conditions for spreading, both avoiding wastage and ensuring that the salt is more effective, so smaller quantities can be used.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We are committed to keeping our network of major roads free from ice and snow to minimise the risk of accidents and ensure the smooth flow of traffic. This investment in new equipment and skills demonstrates how serious we are about it.”

The new Deddington barn can hold 2,800 tonnes of road salt, enough to grit over 23,333km of roads. The roof is fitted with solar panels, generating approximately 50kw power for the grid.

With the completion of the salt barn project, there is now no uncovered road salt stored in Oxfordshire, putting the county ahead of many other local authorities. Oxfordshire has a 5,500 tonne capacity salt barn at the Drayton highways depot, near Abingdon, which was opened in 2018, and a 2,200 tonne capacity barn sited at the Woodcote winter depot in south Oxfordshire.

With more than 10,000 tonnes of salt stored across the county, the council's winter maintenance team is more prepared than ever.

Oxfordshire’s winter preparations have also been boosted by the arrival of a new fleet of gritting vehicles, consisting of 16 26 tonne trucks, 11 18 tonne vehicles, two 7.5 tonne trucks and one 3.5 tonne ‘baby gritter’, to treat very narrow roads and the park and rides. In total, 30 vehicles are stationed at three winter depots across the county, ready for when the temperatures drop.

The winter service crew of 60 highly skilled drivers have all undertaken familiarisation sessions to get them used to the new trucks and some drivers have also completed additional skid pan training at a specialist training centre in Hampshire.

Richard Lovewell, Milestone Infrastructure Business Director said: “Keeping Oxfordshire’s roads safe and mobile throughout the winter is a top priority for Milestone. With Oxfordshire County Council, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that the county is well prepared, no matter what the weather holds.

“With the new salt barn and gritter fleet, over 10,000 tonnes of salt in stock and 60 expert drivers on standby across the county, we’re all set for when the temperatures drop. Thanks to all the staff who have gone above and beyond to ensure we are ‘winter ready’ and especially to those who go out every year in challenging conditions to keep our network moving.”

Oxfordshire County Council salts approximately 42 per cent of Oxfordshire’s road network, one of the highest rates in the country.

While Oxford City Council looks after the gritting inside the Oxford ring road, Oxfordshire County Council has responsibility for the rest of the county – including all A roads, B roads and some C roads, apart from the M40, A43 and A34, which are covered by National Highways.

Gritter drivers treat 26 routes across the county in each gritting session, covering over 3,500km in total, of which 1,960km (1,200 miles) are salted – that’s the equivalent of travelling from London to Iceland.

Cllr Gant added: “While we make great efforts to keep roads clear in winter, drivers must never assume that a road will be free from ice and should adjust their driving to suit the conditions. If you do find yourself behind one of our gritter lorries, which are restricted to 30mph when they are carrying out their work, please be patient and considerate – remember that they are there to keep you safe.”

Last winter, which was relatively mild, the gritters were sent out 25 times between November 2023 and March 2024, with around 4,523 tonnes of salt spread on Oxfordshire's roads. The average number of treatments over the past six years is 37.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates in our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council’s gritters are always a good indication of what kind of winter we’ve had and the statistics for the 2022/3 winter tell their own story! The council sends them out to make roads as safe as possible when the forecast is due to dip below freezing.

From November through to mid- March the gritters went out on 40 occasions (plus a further three part-runs in north Oxfordshire only). Their busiest times were in the big cold spell from 5 December to 17 December when they went out on 13 consecutive days. Then they had to hit the roads on 12 out of 13 days from 16 January to 27 January.

The gritters covered 48,616 miles/78240 kilometres – almost twice around the world! They spread the grand total of 9,360 tonnes of rock salt to help keep main roads in a safe condition in the cold weather. The council’s gritters cover all A-roads, B-roads and some C-roads. National Highways treat the A34, A43 and M40 in cold weather.

How does 2022/3 compare with previous years?

• The most active recent year for the gritters was 2020/21 when they had to go out on more than 50 occasions compared to this winter’s 40.
• In the previous winter (2021/22) they went out on 38 occasions so this year was a slight rise. That 2021/22 total was similar to 2018/19 when they went out 39 times.
• The mildest recent year was 2019/20 when they only had to go out on 31 occasions.
• The snowploughs have not had to be fitted to the gritters at all since the snowy winter of 2018/19 when this had to happen on five separate occasions.

A variable winter

Paul Wilson is the person in the highways team who manages the winter gritting operation. He said: “It was a very variable winter with the gritters going out in big blocks when high pressure became established leaving us with dry but often very cold weather. Our coldest recorded night was 14 December when our road surface temperatures dropped to minus 7.9 degrees at one of our weather stations. In between times we had some very rainy spells that saw the river levels rise to quite high levels but meant that the gritters and the drivers were able to rest.

“Our gritter drivers go out at all hours depending on the most effective time of day for them to hit the roads. That can mean the drivers are out in the middle of the night sometimes more than once and often in very difficult conditions. They’re skilled drivers with high levels of concentration who aim to have the roads as safe as they can make them by the time the rush hours arrive.

“One thing we didn’t have to do this year was fit snowploughs to the front of gritters. When it snows heavily we’ll do that to clear deep snow from the roads. This year we had only one real day of significant snow on 8 March but it never reached a depth at which snowploughs would have been needed and the gritters were doing the job.

“All in all we had a little bit of everything this winter. We’re all glad it’s Spring now but we’re already in the early stages of planning for the 2023/4 winter – whatever that might have in store.”

You can read more about the winter operation on our dedicated page.

As temperatures fall, Oxfordshire County Council said it can boast a full complement of more than 50 drivers – including back-up crews – to keep its gritter lorries moving whenever the freezing weather strikes. An extra 15 drivers were trained last year in case crews were forced to self-isolate because of the pandemic, and at least four more drivers have joined the ranks this winter.

The county’s gritter lorries hit the road for the first time this winter at 7pm on Thursday 4 November in the north of the county as road temperatures fell below freezing.

Paul Wilson, who manages the winter operation, said: “We are committed to keeping our network of major roads free from ice and snow to minimise the risk of accidents and ensure the smooth flow of traffic. Salting – also known as gritting (even though it is actually salt that we use) – helps to achieve this aim.

“We use a number of methods to decide when and where to salt – a mixture of technology and experience. We receive regular weather forecasts for conditions on Oxfordshire's roads, use a computerised ice prediction system to compare forecast conditions against actual road temperatures, monitor conditions through the night, and utilise the skills of experienced staff to judge when to best carry out precautionary gritting.

“However, although we make great efforts to keep roads clear in winter, drivers must never assume that a road will be free from ice and should adjust their driving to suit the conditions. If you do find yourself behind one of our gritter lorries, which are restricted to 30mph when they are carrying out their work, please be patient and considerate – remember that they are there to keep you safe.”

While Oxford City Council looks after the gritting inside the Oxford ring road, Oxfordshire County Council has responsibility for the rest of the county – including all A-roads, B-roads and some C-roads, apart from the M40, A43 and A34, which are covered by National Highways.

The county is spilt into three geographical zones – north, central and south – and although most of the time all three are gritted, sometimes, when temperatures vary between areas, some may require no action. Regular updates on gritting activity can be found on the winter pages of Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

Every time they are called out to salt the whole county, Oxfordshire’s gritter drivers cover more than 1,200 miles, which is the equivalent of travelling from London to Iceland. They cover 25 routes – each taking about three hours – and will typically use a total of 240 tonnes of salt.

Richard Boss, 61, is in his 40th and potentially final year as a gritter driver, and has already been out in his lorry once this year. So, has the nationwide shortage of HGV drivers made him and his colleagues feel more appreciated?

“Yes, it has made people value us more for what we do,” said Richard, from North Aston. “I was due to finish last year but they persuaded me to do one more year because of the situation…although they will probably ask me again next Christmas too!”

And with his wealth of experience, it’s no surprise that the newer recruits come to him for advice.

“They ask me what to do, especially what happens when it snows. I told them we get a call from the client then go back and put snow ploughs on the lorries. They should be alright.”

And he has observed changes in weather patterns in Oxfordshire over the years.

“Four or five years ago we were out every night in early November, but because of climate change it’s more like the middle of November when we get stuck into the freezing weather.”

The gritting ‘season’ starts at the beginning of November and usually lasts until the end of March, although the gritters will still be called into action outside of these dates if required.

The crews are based at the council’s three depots, in Deddington, Drayton and Woodcote. The drivers all have day jobs with the council, including filling in potholes, patching roads, and clearing drains. On days when they are required to go out gritting, or clear snow using snow ploughs, they will be sent home early so that they are rested in time for their evening shift.

One treatment is usually sufficient for the milder winter weather but, if conditions are worse, the drivers can return to the depot to load up again and return to the roads. In extreme cases, particularly involving snow, another team of drivers may even be called in to take over.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates thanks to our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council’s highways, fire and rescue, adult social care, transport and emergency planning teams have been praised for their round the clock response to Storm Bella, widespread flooding and icy conditions over the Christmas and new year period, which included the evacuation of two care homes.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I want to express my gratitude to all our staff who came to the aid of residents in need of their help during what should have been a time of celebration. While Christmas was already affected by COVID-19 restrictions, scores of families had their festive period ruined by the impact of flooding on their homes.

“On a visit to one of the affected areas in Tackley, I saw first-hand how our firefighters tackled the flooding and am full of admiration for their professionalism and dedication as they do what is required, whatever the weather and whatever the time of year. I must also mention our staff who carried out preventative measures, to limit the impact and those behind the scenes who coordinated this huge response. They are all unsung heroes.”

Adult social care and fire and rescue staff were called to a care home in the early hours of Christmas Eve. The home needed to be evacuated after its ground floor flooded when a nearby river burst its banks. All its elderly residents – plus one cat – were found new accommodation together before the end of the day.

Karen Fuller, Deputy Director for Adult Social Care, said: “This was a great example of partnership working! A number of staff across many organisations came together along with support from the community, to work tirelessly into the evening to ensure residents affected were kept safe and alternative accommodation found for them. It was a heart-warming Christmas story demonstrating people’s kindness, dedication and willingness to help, resulting in a great outcome for the residents, from what was a frightening and unsettling experience. The response from our staff was outstanding.”

Residents were first moved to the village hall where they were cared for throughout the day and provided with food and warmth, while their new accommodation was prepared at a new wing of a nearby care home. The empty rooms were transformed into a functioning wing with the installation of beds, tailored equipment and some of the residents’ belongings. It meant they all could stay together with the familiar faces of their co-residents and their usual care staff over this turbulent festive period, where they remain at the moment.

Staff were called into action again on Christmas Day when another care home flooded and had to be evacuated. The residents have since been able to return to the home.

Between Christmas and the new year, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (OFRS) attended 70 flood related incidents – although many of these calls involved multiple properties, meaning the number of homes or people assisted was even higher.

OFRS crews pumped out water for some incidents, where possible. Staff also had to deal with properties affected by flood water and sewage, including the evacuation of properties. The situation was exacerbated by high groundwater, which led to drainage and sewerage being inundated with water.

As well as flooding caused by heavy rainfall, there were two incidents in Abingdon, which involved a burst water main affecting homes.

Around Christmas, Oxfordshire County Council set up a severe weather desk due to the number of flooding and wind related calls being received. During a six hour period, it received more than 40 calls about trees being blown down and numerous properties flooding that needed help.

A number of roads had to be closed due to surface water flooding and many vehicles needed to be rescued from flood water. During this period, approximately 25,000 sandbags were distributed by the county council to at risk or already flooded properties, and crews worked round the clock to keep on top of the demand.

A sharp drop in temperatures around Christmas Eve also brought the county council’s gritting teams into action. Sub-zero temperatures. mixed with the already wet and flooded roads, made both treatment and driving difficult in places.

Since Christmas Eve, the gritters have been out at least a dozen times, using nearly 2,500 tonnes of salt across 1,200 miles of treated network – a total length of road network treated during that period of more than 14,000 miles.

There are still flood alerts in place in Oxfordshire. Visit GOV.UK for more information. For one-stop advice about what to do and how to get help before, during and after a flooding incident visit the county council’s Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit.

The Met Office had issued an "Amber" alert for areas including Oxford and south and south-east of the county but this has now been downgraded to "yellow" and this is due to expire at 1pm. Oxfordshire's area of the Chilterns is the most snow-affected area of the county.

Workers are being deployed to town centres and other community areas to shift snow. The snow is forecast to continue until mid-morning.

Here is the Oxfordshire County Council webpage that schools update if they decide to close as a result of weather or for other reasons. If any schools have decided to close today, they are asked to list the details of that closure here

We grit all A-roads, B-roads and some C-roads. Highways England cover the A34, M40 and A43. This amounts to 1200 miles per gritting run which is the equivalent of London to Iceland. Information on our gritting operation can be found here .

Severe weather desk

During “severe weather events”, which include winter weather like snow or ice, gales/storms, heavy rain,etc. we operate a Severe Weather desk. 

Last night we operated a severe weather desk with staff at work overnight. It will continue to operate until the weather conditions abate. This enables round the clock office-based staffing so that there is always a team on hand monitoring and making decisions and passing on crucial information to gritting teams and others.

The desk is always set up in our traffic control centre in Kidlington, where we have access to the many CCTV camera images from across the county, and we can feed direct reports in to our colleague from BBC Radio Oxford who delivers the peak hour travel news. The desk is usually in place for as long as the prevailing conditions persist or for as long as it takes to clear the aftermath.

Monitoring the weather

The Met Office issues weather warnings. In Oxfordshire we had the lowest "yellow" warning for snow and ice. Some areas further west had an "amber" warning. The relevant Met Office page is here 

But if you thought that was tough, spare a thought for the people who have to drive 20 tonne wagons loaded with several more tonnes of salt and sometimes a snowplough, often in the dark and regularly in freezing temperatures and snow - people like Richard Boss who has been a driver for Oxfordshire County Council’s winter gritting service for 28 years.

Ready to respond whatever the time

Richard is one of a 26-strong team who are on standby throughout the winter to turn out at all hours to make sure that the priority roads around Oxfordshire are salted and kept as safe as possible during freezing and sometimes treacherous weather so that people can continue to play an active part in their community.

As Richard, 58 of North Aston, explains: “You are always thinking about what could be around the next corner. The job is all about safety – the safety of people using the roads and your own safety as a driver doing your job.

“I’ve been overtaken before by people in cars who were clearly in a rush and a mile up the road I’ve spotted them in a ditch. There really is no substitute for taking care, slowing down and taking the time to drive safely.”

Spreading salt on the roads is just one part of the job. As a former retained fireman Richard already had experience of helping people in danger and driving big vehicles, but life as a gritter driver has presented a few varied challenges too.

“One time over in Rollright there was a man who had come off his pushbike at the bottom of a hill and the ambulance couldn’t get to him. We ploughed the road, salted it and then guided the ambulance down the hill with the gritter in reverse. The man got off to hospital, but without us he would have been stranded for a long time as he couldn’t move.

“I have also helped people get to a funeral because the road was impassable and more recently a local resident arrived in the depot on a horse because it was the only way she could get up the road. We helped to get her husband off to hospital and used a teleloader, a kind of digger, to clear the road.”

Getting out before the mercury hits zero

The key is for the gritters to be ready to go out and round the routes before the road temperatures hit zero. But weather is not that simple and rain and snow, which can wash away or cover the salt, complicate matters.

Another big challenge of the job is visibility – winter weather makes everything more difficult. Dark nights combined with snow which sometimes overwhelms windscreen wipers, combined with low-hanging branches weighed down with snow means high levels of concentration are required as not only do the drivers need to keep an eye on the road but also on cameras and mirrors to make sure the salt is still coming out of the spinner.

Driving from London to Iceland every time a freeze is predicted

In Oxfordshire the county council grits all A-roads, B-roads and some C-roads. This amounts to 1,200 miles per gritting run which is the equivalent of travelling from London to Iceland. There has been no change to the winter maintenance budget in recent years. The money we spend relates directly to the conditions on Oxfordshire’s roads in any given year. Last year we spent more than £1.8m gritting Oxfordshire’s roads. Last year’s winter was the worst in recent years in terms of conditions and length.

Making the call every day during the winter supporting our thriving local communities

Paul Wilson manages the council’s winter operation and explained how the decision is made on whether the gritters should swing in to action or not. He said: “We make that decision on a daily basis based on the detailed weather forecast for Oxfordshire.

“The crucial thing that councils check to judge whether the gritters should go out or not is whether the road surface temperature will be at 0.5 degrees or below. That’s the temperature at which frost will form and surfaces will become slippery. Many other factors are also taken into consideration by the decision officers.

“Right the way through from November to spring we take this daily decision. Often it is a straightforward judgement but occasionally there are complications. For instance, the forecast might be telling us that the night will start very cold and frost will form but it’ll later warm up and that there’ll be rain coming in.

“On other occasions there might be snow in the forecast and we’ll want to time the gritting run just right and perhaps fit the snowploughs to the front of the gritters. On such occasions there’s every chance we’d send the gritters out more than once.

“We know it’s a difficult job for a driver of one of the gritters. Driving down a country road in freezing conditions at 2am in dark depths of winter is no picnic.

“The aim is to have the main roads in as safe a condition as possible to support our thriving local economy and communities. It should however be pointed out that gritting is not a magic elixir that prevents the driving hazards that winter brings. It lessens them – it does not eliminate them. Our advice is always that people should drive to the conditions. Don’t drive in December like you would in June or July. It’s common sense really - but it’s important.”

Things you might not know about gritting:

• It’s not grit – it’s salt (we don’t know why it started being called ‘gritting’)
• The salt is corrosive and the gritters must be steam cleaned and wax-oiled regularly. Even so, parts have to be replaced due to rust.
• Normally the spinners at the back spread the salt across the full width of the road. But snow on the ground means that the salt particles don’t bounce and so more work is needed to get it where it’s needed.
• The wheels drive the spinners that spread the salt – if the gritter isn’t moving it’s not spreading grit, so try not to hold them up!
• Salt needs traffic to help make it work – driving over it mixes it with any ice on the road surface and makes sure it gets spread around properly
• Salt only works down to about -6°c and care is always needed if you are driving in freezing temperatures even if you can see a road has been salted
• When it snows we do also plough the roads. BUT the ploughs can’t go right down to make contact with the road surface so that things like cats eyes are not damaged.
• “Winter” in Oxfordshire starts in November as far as gritting is concerned and runs through to April.

“It was certainly a Winter with a far different character than most of those we’ve had this decade” said Paul Wilson, the man who oversees the council’s gritting operation.

“In total the council sent the gritters out on 76 occasions from November onwards. That compares to 45 in 2016/17. The council also had to put the snowploughs on to the gritters four times – something that had not been needed in Oxfordshire since 2012/13. A total of over 16,000 tonnes of salt were used and over 90,000 miles covered by Oxfordshire’s gritters from November to March - which equates to 3.7 times around the world.

“November had been a cold month with the gritters having to go out on numerous occasions and then we had the second weekend of December when everybody woke up one Sunday morning to an ever thickening blanket of snow,” said Paul.

“We’d set up ready the day before and sent the gritters out with the snowploughs attached and managed to get all the main roads clear – but that was quite some snow event for Oxfordshire and there were some particularly low temperatures in the nights following that meant the snow hung around for a while.

“We had another very active period between Christmas and New Year before further busy times during January and February - although it wasn’t until the first day or two of March that we had to get the snowploughs out again.

Beast from the East

“The March snow will still be fresh in everybody’s mind. Everybody will remember the phrase “Beast from the East”. In fact the snow we got was due to a westerly weather system, Storm Emma, crashing in to the Easterlies that had brought a lot of snow to counties to the East of us. Oxfordshire hadn’t been getting as much snow as many other parts of the country but leading in to that first weekend in March west Oxfordshire got some very deep snow.

“A real notable feature in the West was snow drifting off fields on to the roads due to the winds – a lot of hard work went in to clearing the roads over that weekend and we had some absolutely fantastic support from the local farming community who really rolled their sleeves up and pitched in.

“Then we had another less intrusive brush with snow in mid-March.”

“All in all it was a Winter for cold and snow and winds from the north and east rather than rain and flooding and incessant weather systems from the Atlantic. That means it was quite an unusual Winter.

“I’d like to thank all the team involved in the winter operation but particularly the gritter drivers who as ever were out on the roads at some very unsociable hours and in inhospitable conditions. They did the job in terms of keeping main roads passable.

"There are always people who imagine that gritting means winter conditions are completely eliminated – the vast majority of people know that gritting and ploughing helps, but it doesn’t turn December in to July. So I’d also like to thank the thousands of Oxfordshire motorists who drove with care and to the conditions. Let’s hope we can now all now look forward to Spring and Summer”

The county council’s gritters cover 1,200 miles of road on one gritting run – covering all A-roads, B-roads and some C-roads. Highways England cover the A34, A43 and M40.

The main road through Rousham is currently closed due to flooding.

Update: 16:58 28 Dec

Two roads closured due to ice are now reopen:

• Curbridge Rd from Ducklington (A415) to A4095
• Letcombe Regis – Court Hill Rd from Letcombe regis to A338

Yesterday's closures at Marsh Gibbon and Long Hanborough due to flooding have reopened.

Update: 28 Dec 15:30

Our gritters are due out once again from 7pm this evening. Another cold night lies ahead with a further Met Office ice warning in place for tomorrow morning. Please drive safely if you are out on the roads.

Update: 28 Dec 9:20

The Environment Agency has issued Flood Alerts for the following areas, though waters are subsiding and are not expected to threaten properties:

• River Ock from Watchfield to Abingdon and also the Letcombe Brook at Wantage, Grove and East Hanney
• River Windrush from Bourton to Newbridge
• River Cherwell from Lower Heyford down to and including Oxford
• River Thame and Chalgrove Brook
• Langford and Wendlebury Brooks from Stratton Audley to Merton
• River Cherwell from Charwelton to Upper Heyford
• River Cole and Dorcan Brook
• River Evenlode from Moreton in Marsh to Cassington and the River Glyme at Wootton and Woodstock
• River Ray and tributaries from Shipton Lee to Islip
• Upper River Great Ouse in Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
• River Thames and tributaries from Calcott to Lechlade

Update: 28 Dec 7:15

Ice warning still in place from Met Office so road users and pedestrians should are warned about black ice, following several accidents last night.

Update: 27 Dec 21:50

Black ice alert: Gritters went out at 7pm and have nearly completed their run. Even so, emergency services have been called to several accidents involving black ice. Their advice is not to drive unless essential and take great care if you do go out. Gritters are going out again immediately they finish.

Update: 27 Dec 16:33

There are currently two implemented road closures at Marsh Gibbon and at Long Hanborough, plus road impassable at Woodeaton. Please do not enter flood water.

There is a Yellow Warning of Ice for tonight and tomorrow morning.

There is a Cold Weather Alert Level 3 from tonight to Saturday, meaning 90% likelihood of temperatures consistently near to or below freezing.

Gritters will be back out around 7pm this evening to combat tonight’s sub-zero temperatures.

Oxfordshire's Libraries will shut at 5pm tonight to allow staff to get home safely

Update: 27 Dec 10:50

Road closure - Lower Rd Hanborough is closed under the railway bridge due to flooding 

With rain turning to snow overnight, Oxfordshire's gritters have been out twice overnight.

The first treatment run headed out at 23:00 to get salt down ahead of the snow. Snow started falling to the west of the county at approximately 2 – 2.30 am with some areas seeing in excess of 50 mm, while the east saw slushier conditions.

Crews were back at the depots by 6am after a second run around the county and will be back out again to target the worst affected areas, including the higher ground to the west, including Banbury and Chipping Norton to Burford in the North and Faringdon and the higher ground (Uffington Hills) in the south.

We'll have more updates throughout the day.

Gritting runs

• We aim to keep a network of major roads as free as possible from ice to minimise the risk of accidents. Precautionary salting (or ‘gritting’) helps to achieve this aim.
• More information on routes and when the gritters are going out is here. We always advise people to take extra care even when roads have been treated.

Grit bins

• Grit bins were refilled at the start of winter and are being refilled at the moment. There is more information on salt bins here.
• We do encourage self-help. There are around 1300 salt bins across the county for the public to use on the public highway, including footways. Some Town and Parish Councils have snow warden schemes.

Pavements and cycle paths

• Footways only get limited attention by the county council because clearing them is very labour intensive. Only major shopping areas are likely to be treated with salt/grit in the early stages following snowfall.

Snow guidance and government advice

• You can view our Oxfordshire Snow Guide (pdf format, 428KB) The Government also has a ‘snow code’, which covers liability issues.

Information and social media

• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to receive updates by social media.

Vulnerable children and adults

• The emergency duty team of social workers (EDT) is on call 24/7, including over the Christmas period. Safeguarding concerns should be reported to 0345 050 7666 (office hours) or 0800 833408 (out of hours).

Community planning

• The county council provides advice and support for communities that want to develop a local resilience plan, so they are prepared for extreme weather and emergency situations. More information here.

Power failure

You can call 105 to report or get information about power cuts in your local area.

You can also call 105 if you spot damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you, or someone else, in danger. If there’s a serious immediate risk, you should call the emergency services too.

105 is a free service, available to people in England, Scotland and Wales.

You can call the number from most landlines and mobile phones.

The Environment Agency has issued Flood Alerts for the following areas, though waters are subsiding and are not expected to threaten properties:

• River Ock from Watchfield to Abingdon and also the Letcombe Brook at Wantage, Grove and East Hanney
• River Windrush from Bourton to Newbridge
• River Cherwell from Lower Heyford down to and including Oxford
• River Thame and Chalgrove Brook
• Langford and Wendlebury Brooks from Stratton Audley to Merton
• River Cherwell from Charwelton to Upper Heyford
• River Cole and Dorcan Brook
• River Evenlode from Moreton in Marsh to Cassington and the River Glyme at Wootton and Woodstock
• River Ray and tributaries from Shipton Lee to Islip
• Upper River Great Ouse in Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
• River Thames and tributaries from Calcott to Lechlade

Update: 28 Dec 7:15

Ice warning still in place from Met Office so road users and pedestrians should are warned about black ice, following several accidents last night.

Update: 27 Dec 21:50

Black ice alert: Gritters went out at 7pm and have nearly completed their run. Even so, emergency services have been called to several accidents involving black ice. Their advice is not to drive unless essential and take great care if you do go out. Gritters are going out again immediately they finish.

Update: 27 Dec 16:33

There are currently two implemented road closures at Marsh Gibbon and at Long Hanborough, plus road impassable at Woodeaton. Please do not enter flood water.

There is a Yellow Warning of Ice for tonight and tomorrow morning.

There is a Cold Weather Alert Level 3 from tonight to Saturday, meaning 90% likelihood of temperatures consistently near to or below freezing.

Gritters will be back out around 7pm this evening to combat tonight’s sub-zero temperatures.

Oxfordshire's Libraries will shut at 5pm tonight to allow staff to get home safely

Update: 27 Dec 10:50

Road closure - Lower Rd Hanborough is closed under the railway bridge due to flooding

 

With rain turning to snow overnight, Oxfordshire's gritters have been out twice overnight. 

The first treatment run headed out at 23:00 to get salt down ahead of the snow. Snow started falling to the west of the county at approximately 2 – 2.30 am with some areas seeing in excess of 50 mm, while the east saw slushier conditions. 

Crews were back at the depots by 6am after a second run around the county and will be back out again to target the worst affected areas, including the higher ground to the west, including Banbury and Chipping Norton to Burford in the North and Faringdon and the higher ground (Uffington Hills) in the south.

We'll have more updates throughout the day.

Gritting runs

• We aim to keep a network of major roads as free as possible from ice to minimise the risk of accidents. Precautionary salting (or ‘gritting’) helps to achieve this aim.
• More information on routes and when the gritters are going out is here. We always advise people to take extra care even when roads have been treated.

Grit bins

• Grit bins were refilled at the start of winter and are being refilled at the moment. There is more information on salt bins here.
• We do encourage self-help. There are around 1300 salt bins across the county for the public to use on the public highway, including footways. Some Town and Parish Councils have snow warden schemes.

Pavements and cycle paths

• Footways only get limited attention by the county council because clearing them is very labour intensive. Only major shopping areas are likely to be treated with salt/grit in the early stages following snowfall.

Snow guidance and government advice

• You can view our Oxfordshire Snow Guide (pdf format, 428KB) The Government also has a ‘snow code’, which covers liability issues.

Information and social media

• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to receive updates by social media.

Vulnerable children and adults

• The emergency duty team of social workers (EDT) is on call 24/7, including over the Christmas period. Safeguarding concerns should be reported to 0345 050 7666 (office hours) or 0800 833408 (out of hours).

Community planning

• The county council provides advice and support for communities that want to develop a local resilience plan, so they are prepared for extreme weather and emergency situations. More information here.

Power failure

You can call 105 to report or get information about power cuts in your local area.

You can also call 105 if you spot damage to electricity power lines and substations that could put you, or someone else, in danger. If there’s a serious immediate risk, you should call the emergency services too.

105 is a free service, available to people in England, Scotland and Wales.

You can call the number from most landlines and mobile phones.

All 25 of the council's gritters  hit the road having been kept very busy throughout the whole of the weekend - including five runs between 3am on Sunday and 3am on Monday.

One gritting run covers all A-roads, B-roads and some C-roads amounting to 1200 miles - the equivalent of London to Iceland.

Oxfordshire County Council's gritters operate from our three depots in Woodcote, Drayton and Deddington.

What happened to counter Sunday's snow

Gritters with snowploughs attached were in operation in Oxfordshire throughout Sunday, December 10 to tackle the heavy snowfall that has hit the county, neighbouring counties and other parts of England and Wales.

Over the 24 hours from 3am on Sunday to 3am on Monday the gritters covered more than 6,000 miles of Oxfordshire road and used 1200 tonnes of salt.

Work continuing to take place in the cold

• On both Monday and Tuesday the council had crews in Oxfordshire's town centres putting down grit on pavements. There'll be more of that today

• Gritters have been operating beyond their normal routes this morning to grit and snowplough. They have also been re-visiting previoulsy gritted routes to treat icy spots.  They have visited Fifield, Burford (Witney Street), the road from the A361 to Wigginton past the local wildfowl sanctury, Thorpe Way Industrial Estate in Banbury, Botley Estate and Oxford Parkway. They have also visited the B480 Stonor; B4026 Charlbury to Chipping Norton, B4031 Iron Down Hill (Deddington to A361) and A415 Witney to Standlake.

Libraries and Household Waste Recycling Centres

Any service changes on Tuesday will be reported here. 

Schools

Schools make their own judgements based about whether they will close during snowy/icy weather conditions. The county council has collated the statistics on school closures

On Tuesday 53 schools were closed, 20 are part open and 222 Open (two schools have yet to notify us)

A total of 266 schools were closed, 27 were open and 3 partially open on Monday.

Keeping the main roads open

Paul Wilson, the council’s winter operations manager, said:  “The aim remains keeping our main road network clear. We watch the forecast intently respond accordingly. Fixing the snowploughs to the gritters is not something that we have to do very often in Oxfordshire and we can often go a full winter without it needing to happen. Indeed it is a number of years since we've had to use the snowploughs. There was a clear case on Sunday.

“Gritting and snowploughing helps keep the main roads clear but it doesn't turn December in to July. As ever we would ask people to drive very carefully in these Winter conditions. These are exceptionally cold conditions. We were active during Tuesday treating icy spots on previously gritted routes and beyond. ”

The A34, A43 and M40 are the responsibility of Highways England.

Learn more about our winter gritting operation here via the words of our experienced gritter driver Dave Primrose from Banbury.

Schools post here if they ever have to close due to the weather or for any other reasons.

“We all become avid weather watchers” says Banbury born and raised Dave, who has been a gritter driver since 2012, based at the council’s Deddington depot.

The 50 year old had previously worked in the construction industry. The main portion of his job with the council is as one of the supervisors who organises the highway maintenance crews who fix potholes and mend wider sections of road.

But when Winter comes around they take on an extra duty – one that provides Oxfordshire’s main roads with an extra level of protection from the Winter cold and changes the daily routine of the staff involved and often their families too.

Dave said: “Quite often when the call is made to send the gritters out, the run will be during the evening at around the 7pm or 8pm mark. That’s when the forecast is straightforward and its going to be a normal cold winter’s night.

“A run for one gritter and its driver is about three hours so on those occasions we are usually back home and tucked up in bed by midnight or just after.

“Sometimes though the gritting run has to be at 2am because the forecast is more complex and involves snow or rain. The timing has to be just right. On those occasions I’d try to get some sleep before getting up to go out on the gritting run. That’s obviously more tough and you don’t really sleep properly. There’s a fair amount of clock watching involved!

“There have been occasions when the forecast from the Met Office has changed at short notice and so the call has had to be changed. When that means the gritters go out at short notice it can certainly have an impact on your family or social life, but it’s all part of the job.

“My children are grown up now but in my earlier days on the gritters they were still at school and there were occasions they were reminded that their Dad was trying to rest and they should be quiet.

“Driving on a freezing cold night in January with the snowplough on at 3am is certainly an experience! On the runs that happen at more sociable hours you’ll often get other drivers who get impatient and try to overtake you or race out in front of you.

“During the runs that happen in the small hours you can see see owls, deer, foxes and all kinds of other animals that you wouldn’t encounter during the day.

“There was one memorable evening when I was driving down in to Adderbury in the gritter and suddenly there was stag deer right in front of me in the headlights. I slammed on the breaks missed him by a whisker.

“The other thing you can quite often get is people waving at you and asking for a toot on the horn. Friday and Saturday nights can be interesting because you can observe people who have very clearly been out for a drink!

“It’s an important job and we know we play a role in helping keep people safe – although of course they play a huge role themselves by driving to the conditions.”

Paul Wilson manages the council’s winter operation and explained how the decision is made on whether the gritters should swing in to action or not. He said: “We make that decision on a daily basis based on the detailed weather forecast for Oxfordshire.

“The crucial determinant that councils check to judge whether the gritters should go out or not is whether the road surface temperature will be at 0.5 degrees or below. That’s the temperature at which frost will form and surfaces will become slippery. Many other factors are also taken into consideration by the decision officers.

“Right the way through from November to the Spring we take this daily decision. Often it is a straightforward judgement but occasionally there are complications. For instance, the forecast might be telling us that the night will start very cold and frost will form but it’ll later warm up and that there’ll be rain coming in.

“On other occasions there might be snow in the forecast and we’ll want to time the gritting run just right and perhaps fit the snowploughs to the front of the gritters. On such occasions there’s every chance we’d send the gritters out more than once.

“We know it’s a difficult job for a driver of one of the gritters. Driving down a country road in freezing conditions at 2am in dark depths of winter is no picnic.

“The aim is to have the main roads in as safe a condition as possible. It should however be pointed out that gritting is not a magic elixir that prevents the driving hazards that winter brings. It lessens them – it does not eliminate them. Our advice is always that people should drive to the conditions. Don’t drive in December like you would in June or July. It’s common sense really - but it’s important.”

Oxfordshire County Council’s gritters - Key facts

• The annual budget for the gritting operation and associated work is just over £1m which is the same as previous winters.

• The county council will as usual be employing around 25 gritters to grit all A-roads and B-roads and some C-roads when required. Highways England are responsible for treating the A34, M40 and A43.

• There’s approximately 8500 tonnes of salt in stock which is the same as previous winters and can be stocked up as required as the Winter progresses. A gritting run covering all of the county’s main roads covers 1,200 miles which is the equivalent of London to Iceland.

• Gritters are based at the county’s highways depots in Deddington, Drayton and Woodcote

• The gritters each have names – such as Ice Warrior, Gritterminator and Salty

Gritters are on standby from October 28 right the way through to April in Oxfordshire – similar to many neighbouring councils.

In total the fleet of 28 gritters were sent out countywide on 45 occasions – including three times in the space of 12 hours on January 12/13 and on Boxing Day and other days over the Christmas break.

A total of 8880 tonnes of salt were used during the course of the Winter – within the resources that had been brought in at the start of the colder months.

Equivalent of London to Iceland

Paul Wilson, Oxfordshire County Council’s Highways Network Resilience Co-ordinator, said: “Although the winter of 2016/17 will be remembered in England more for February’s Storm Doris rather than colder weather we still had a number of cold nights that warranted the gritters being dispatched on to our roads.

“Travelling a distance of over twice around the world sounds a lot but actually it is well within the range of what we’d expect to cover during the Winter and is less surprising when you consider that one countywide gritting run in Oxfordshire is the equivalent distance of London to Iceland - approximately 1200 miles.”

“Although gritting helps keep the roads safe it is not a magic elixir that means the Winter can be kept at bay for motorists. The other half of the equation is people driving to the conditions – which I think most people are sensible enough to do.”

Highways England

Although Oxfordshire’s gritters cover A-roads and B-roads in the county the national agency Highways England are responsible for gritting the M40, A34 and A43 – so the Oxfordshire figures described do not include statistics for these roads.