Severe weather will sweep across the north-east this weekend, forecasters have said.
A yellow – be aware – warning for snow and ice has been issued by the Met Office across the north-east for this morning.
The alert is also in place for tomorrow and Sunday and into the start of next week.
As much as 4inches of snow could fall in the highest areas of the north-east, with 1inches possible in lower regions.
Temperatures were expected to plummet across the north-east last night, with Braemar expected to drop to -5C. Aberdeen was predicted to reach -1C.
Forecasters are anticipating some milder temperatures for today, with peak daytime temperatures of 4C expected for coastal regions and 2C for inland areas.
But the team warned the milder temperatures will not last, with snow showers likely across the north-east throughout the weekend.
Last night Dan Williams, a spokesman for the Met Office, says the drop in temperature is the effect of northerly winds.
He said: “Temperatures will drop back to being colder because of a northerly-flow coming in from the polar regions.
“We expect to see some more snow showers during Saturday afternoon, going into Saturday evening.
“The warning stops around midnight on Saturday, but kickstarts around half an hour later, and that continues through Monday, until midnight.
“The most important thing to say is that these are snow showers, not widespread snow – and it’s very difficult to predict where it will turn up.”
Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City council’s gritting teams were out in force yesterday and will continue to be deployed through the weekend to ensure main roads are passable.
Meanwhile, Bear Scotland is urging motorists to take extra care when on the roads this weekend.
A spokesman for the organisation said: “We urge road users to drive to the conditions as this further period of wintry weather sets in. It is essential to check for up to date travel information before setting out on a journey and ensure you and your vehicle are well prepared for winter conditions.
“As the snow will be showery, the conditions may be favourable at the start of your journey however could change so tuning into radio updates or social media would be beneficial.”