Last night was the fourth night in a row that Liverpool roads were gritted in anticipation of the icy conditions. A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: "Gritters went out three times on Wednesday night and we are continuing to grit the roads while the cold weather continues especially around hospitals and district shopping centres where there are lots of pedestrians." Commuters making their way into Liverpool city centre for work yesterday suffered setbacks and delays. Buses and trains around the city were delayed as people waited in freezing temperatures to get into the office. Bus operators Arriva, who operate about two-thirds of the region's services, said most of the delays were down to drivers slowing down for the icy streets. Company spokesman Nick Gordon said: "All our services operated yesterday although obviously some were subject to delays due to road conditions caused by the cold weather. "Many of our delays were down to drivers slowing down to take extra care to get our customers to their destinations safely." Despite the widespread disruption across Merseyside, the lowest temperature recorded yesterday morning by the Met office was just -2C. As cloud cover disperses across the North West in the next few days, the chance of extra snowfall will drop but the clear skies mean lower temperatures are on their way. Most of the region will be waking up today after a night of temperatures as low as -6C. A spokesman for the Met Office said: "Over the next few days there will be a tendency for snow showers to die away. The few that are close by at the moment should leave us with a fairly dry Friday evening. "The coldest temperatures will be seen inland in the North West, away from the breeze of the coast, with figures dropping to below freezing. "It is going to get colder for the most part, especially at night, if the skies stay clear, as expected." Towns and cities were not the only areas to suffer the brunt of the weather with garden centres noting the difference in the weather this year. Paul Cook, curator at Ness Gardens, Wirral, said: "This year has been colder than last and so none of our spring flowers have come into bloom. "By this time last year we had a mild spell and had quite a lot of our spring flowers out but this year we haven't. "Anyone coming to the centre will see flowers such as snowdrops, rhododendrons, and lawn crocuses which can withstand the cold temperatures and don't mind the snow." kate.mansey@liverpool.com Commuters faced disruption as ice and snow froze junctions >>> | 
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