Devon County Council Highways is urging people not to use the roads this morning.

Continued snow in parts overnight, and freezing rain, on top of sub-zero temperatures, make driving conditions potentially dangerous.

The council said: “People may be tempted, waking up on Friday morning, to think it’s business as usual and try to go about driving to work as normal. But they shouldn’t.

“The roads are snowy and icy, and until we’re out of this immediate cold snap, and until gritters and snow ploughs have had full chance to make the network safer to use, we’re advising to stay off the road,” said Cllr Stuart Hughes, the Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highway management.

The warning follows a day of heavy snow fall in many parts of the county, including vehicles that had to be left abandoned on roads that have become impassable.

The Council, the Police and other partners, have been working through the night to attend to the road network.

“Although the immediacy of the situation was on Thursday, prolonged cold weather over night means that it’s still not safe to use the roads on Friday morning,” says Cllr Hughes. “We ask people to heed the warnings, use their common sense, and make other arrangements in the morning.”

The road conditions across Devon have been described as “deceptive” by the County Council’s Highways Operations Manager, Chris Cranston.

“Despite relatively little snow overnight, the freezing rain across the county has left many roads impassable, and people are being encouraged to think carefully about making any journeys until the roads have been cleared” he said.

“The biggest problem we are dealing with at the moment is damage to the A379 at Torcross, due to the high tides. The road is currently closed and drivers are advised to avoid the area.”

The list of Devon schools planning to remain closed on Friday, according to the Council’s website, stands at more than 300.

Kingsbridge and Ivybridge Police have advised people not to travel “unless absolutely necessary” after the heavy snow and winds yesterday evening.

The police have reported that minor roads are impassable and some of the A-roads are impassable, with more snow forecast today.

Various rest centres have opened up across Devon for stranded motorists. They were put in place last night which the public have been advised to attend. One such centre was opened in Totnes at the Guildhall until 1am.

In addition, there are reports of two abandoned articulated lorries blocking the A385 between Paignton and Totnes

Devon County Council is reminding people of the following advice:

• Avoid overnight travel as roads are expected to be hazardous this evening (Thursday) with less traffic, colder temperatures and freezing rain;

• If you have vulnerable or elderly neighbours, think about how they could possibly be helped through the cold spell;

• Try to maintain indoor temperatures to at least 18C, particularly if you are not mobile, have long-term illness or are 65 or over. NHS Choices has more information on staying healthy during cold weather;

• Listen to local radio for updates on current weather conditions and ensure you are stocked with food and medications

• Check out any school closures and sign up for alerts for any school by clicking on ‘Alert Me’.

For more information and travel advice from Devon County Council visit: www.devon.gov.uk/winter_travel or for updates on Twitter follow @DevonAlert