Although roads teams will continue to treat routes with a mixture of salt and grit, salt is ineffective at such low temperatures and will not prevent the roads from freezing.

Overnight air temperatures are predicted to dip to -13 degrees Celcius in many parts of Argyll and Bute, with road temperatures several degrees lower.

Councillor Duncan Macintyre, spokesperson for transport and infrastructure, said: “In common with much of the rest of the country, we have been experiencing extremely challenging conditions on our roads network today. Our crews continue to work flat out in a bid to keep Argyll and Bute moving.

“Information from forecasters suggests tonight will be particularlycold – too cold for salt to prevent roads from freezing.

“Once the temperature goes below minus seven degrees Celsius,salt alone is ineffective. So while we’ll still be treating priority routes, we’ll be doing so with a mixture of salt and gritwhich means we can preserve our salt stocks but still help give some grip on the roads.

“Whilst we do our very best to tackle the conditions across our network, it is not always possible for us to beat the weather. So our advice isto only make journeys that are absolutely essential, and to drive slowly and carefully if you have to go out. ”

Information about school closures and road treatment can be found on Argyll and Bute Council’s web site www.argyll-bute.gov.uk or by following us on Twitter – argyllandbute

Roads and lighting faults can be reported by calling 0800 37 36 35