Winter weather advice

Weather Widget provided by the Met Office.

Are you ready for winter? We are!

We've got plans in place in case snow and ice hit the city. Our gritters will be out keeping the roads clear, our staff will be keeping an eye on vulnerable people and we'll be keeping these pages up to date.

We'll be checking the Met Office forecasts and sharing updates on Facebook and Twitter. Here are our top tips for being ready for winter.

Look after yourself

Make sure you have enough food and medicine in the house if you'd struggle to get out in bad weather. Our keep warm and well page has tips, you can also see the NHS winter health pages.

Look after your neighbours

If you have elderly neighbours, pop round to check they're warm and well and if they need any shopping or help.

Look after your home and business

United Utilities have advice on making sure pipes don't burst, you can download their Winterwise leaflet below. The Cabinet Office has advice about business continuity for businesses.

Clearing snow

It's perfectly okay and legal to clear snow or ice from the pavement outside your home. Just make sure you do it carefully so you're not replacing one hazard with another and follow the Snow Code.

Take care on the roads

Our gritters will be out and about on main roads if below freezing temperatures are predicted. We'll be out early so cars can work the salt into the road surface and prevent ice forming.

Getting around

Find out which company runs your bus or train service and keep their contact details to hand so you know who to call if there are problems. You can use your local Travelshop or check Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) to find details.

Allow extra time for your journeys as wintry weather can affect road and rail conditions and make journeys slower. Check National Rail or Metrolink before travelling for service updates on train and tram services in Greater Manchester. You can also follow TFGM on Twitter for general updates.

Keep your options open and consider other services and routes if your usual plans are affected. Use the journey planner or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 to plan a journey. Calls cost 10p a minute from BT landlines. Mobile and other landline networks may charge more. Lines are open from 7.00am to 8.00pm, Monday to Friday, and from 8.00am to 8.00pm at weekends.

Is it open?

Schools and children's centres may decide to close if the weather is really bad. Schools will contact parents and alert local radio stations including BBC Radio Manchester, Key 103, Capital and Salford City Radio. You can also get up to date information from our school closures page.

Social care

Our social care staff will try to stay in touch with anyone who receives a social care service. If the weather is really bad we may have to prioritise urgent customers and critical services. Keep an eye on our website for details.

Stay off the ice

Frozen lakes, canals and ponds can be deadly. Ice is rarely strong enough to support anyone's weight and you can die just from the shock of falling into icy water. Don't take the risk - stay clear.

If you need to contact the council for help and support, please call 0161 794 4711.

We will publish details of any disruption to services on this website as soon as possible. Please also follow our Twitter stream and Facebook page as we will also notify people of key updates via these pages.