Areas of the UK could be blanketed by up to 3in (8cm) of snow as the country continues to shiver in the Arctic freeze. Treacherous conditions on the roads are also set to get worse with freezing rain battering some parts of Britain, forecasters have warned. The Met Office has issued an "amber" warning instructing people the north of England to be prepared for widespread ice, while "yellow" warnings for snow and ice are in place in a number of English, Welsh and Scottish regions. It comes after three people died in sub-zero, icy conditions in the north of England this week. Nick Prebble, forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "There will be a problem with freezing rain this morning which is going to start causing problems in southern Scotland and northern England. It will spread south east, and as it moves will turn into sleet and snow." The cold front will move to North Wales and Yorkshire, hitting the Midlands by the middle of the afternoon, he added. Mr Prebble said: "From midday onwards, there will be snow falling, with between 4cm (1.6in) and 8cm (3in) possible. The areas worst affected are likely to be East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. There may well be snow flurries in London by the evening. It looks like it is going to settle in quite a wide area." Cumbria Police said freezing conditions were already plaguing the county's roads causing a lorry travelling along the eastbound carriageway of A66 in Stainmore to jacknife and block the road. The latest blast of snow is expected to last into Friday before clearing by the weekend leaving cloud and drizzle. The south east of England is expected to see some sunshine. The sub-zero temperatures are set to improve slightly over the coming days, but the mercury will still struggling to get above 0C in many places overnight with a clear east/west divide. | 
