Region is all-white now
Hundreds of schools closed today and all flights at Birmingham Airport were grounded as snow arrived in the West Midlands. Email us your snow pictures
Right: Workers Jackie Shaw and Vicky Ilsley in Wolverhampton
But it appeared the region had missed the worst of the bad weather at first light, with heavy snowfall failing to materialise overnight.
Gritters were out in force in parts of the Black Country from 1.30am spreading hundreds of tonnes ready for the big freeze.
And trams travelled between Wolverhampton and Birmigham all night to ensure the lines remained fit for use this morning.
As forecasters warned of more snow throughout the day, parts of the region ground to a halt.
Steps taken included:
Long delays to flights at Birmingham Airport as conditions were deemed too dangerous for flights;
All council schools in Birmingham and Dudley were closed, with scores also closing in other areas;
All transport to day centres in Dudley cancelled;
Delays on the region's rail network as services were cut on the West Coast Main Line.
Right: Christine Sandall and dog Molly in Brunswick Park in Wednesbury.
He said: "We have a number of flights boarded and ready to go, but they will not depart until we are satisfied that the runways and taxiways are ready to use.
"We have spent million on snow clearance kits and our people have been here all night - but it has only become a problem in the last hour, as a large 'blanket' of snow comes in, and settles on top of ice.
"People concerned about air travel arrangements today should contact their airline as several other airports are also closed."
On the Midland Metro, a tram had been running the length of the line overnight to keep the track from freezing.
But there were slight delays after a contractor cut through a cable at Snow Hill.
Stuart Henry, cororate affairs director at Travel West Midlands, said: "The proof will be in the pudding later on in the morning.
"As far as I'm aware with the buses it's not too bad. The gritters have done a fantastic job."
As the Met Office issued a severe weather warning for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, industry chiefs warned that transport failures today could cost the economy hundreds of millions of pounds. Luton and Stanstead airports were among those to close because of the snow.
Forecasters predicted up to 6in (15cm) of snow could fall over parts of the Midlands, South and Mid-Wales and Northern Ireland today.
London and southern England are also expected to see up to 2in (5cm) of snow around today's morning rush-hour.
