Snow closes schools, roads in Britain

LONDON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Early snow blanketed much of Britain Tuesday, closing schools in northwest England and southeast Scotland and turning roads icy.

The wintry weather was even tougher for about 3,000 households in the Scottish Borders region. Gas supplies were cut off, leaving residents in Kelso without heat, The Scotsman reported.

In parts of Scotland, a mix of rain followed by a drop in temperature and snow left roads covered with black ice. Hundreds of crashes were reported, and a three-car collision near Aberdeen killed at least one person and left another with dangerous injuries.

In northwest England, about 200 schools were closed, The Telegraph reported. In some cases, children were sent home because too few teachers had reported for work.

So many people have bet on a white Christmas in London that the bookmaker, Ladbrokes, cut the odds from 3-1 to 11-4.

"We're frozen with fear at the prospect of a white Christmas," Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg told The Scotsman. "Interest in the traditional festive wager has gone into overdrive this year."

The odds on Christmas snow in Glasgow have shortened from 8-1 to 2-1, while Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester are at 4-1.