Fourth Day of School Closures in Scotland Due to Amber Snow Warning

Scottish schools will be shut for a fourth consecutive day due to severe weather, with an amber snow warning in effect for parts of the country, including Orkney, Shetland, and northern Scotland, until 6 PM Thursday.

Island schools will remain closed, and some Aberdeenshire schools will open later than usual. Scotland recently recorded its coldest night of the winter, with -14°C in Dalwhinnie and a possibility of temperatures dropping to -18°C. Up to 40cm of snow is forecasted before the weekend.

ScotRail has canceled several train services on Thursday and expects delays on routes between Inverness and Edinburgh/Glasgow. A new yellow warning for snow on Friday has been issued for northern and central Scotland, adding to earlier advisories that saw Shetland receive around 24cm of snow.

Frequent heavy snow showers could create blizzard-like conditions, with police advising against travel in affected areas.

The Met Office highlights a northerly air flow as a contributing factor to the severe conditions. Scotland's Transport Minister confirmed winter plans are in action, while road officials in Shetland advise against non-essential travel due to the worsening weather.

Snow accumulation may exceed 40cm in high-altitude areas by Friday's end, and a record-breaking cold January temperature is possible.

Travel disruptions include altered Highland ScotRail services and canceled Kirkwall Airport flights. Stagecoach has halted bus services in several regions owing to unsafe roads. The nation braces for persistent sub-zero temperatures into the weekend.