Posted on Thursday 8th January 2026
Highways crews in Staffordshire are bracing themselves as Storm Goretti is due to hit the county tonight.
The Met Office has issued an Amber Warning for snow for much of the south of the county, with a yellow warning in place for the north.
Latest forecasts show snow is expected to fall from 5pm Thursday evening, through to 12 noon on Friday.
Teams will be working round the clock to keep the county moving, and will prioritise keeping the major routes open in extreme conditions.
The county council has 20,000 tonnes of grit stockpiled and 37 gritters and snowploughs ready to roll.
Around 43% of local highways are gritted, compared to a regional average of 30%.
Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways said:
“With the Met Office issuing Yellow and Amber Weather warnings, our gritting crews are gearing up for some extremely challenging conditions. Crews will be doing what they can to help keep main roads clear, but we are still asking people to take care.
“People should only travel if absolutely necessary and if they do need to travel, drive to the conditions. Grit will not magically clear a road of ice and snow, so we do all need to be careful if we are going to be about and about.
“Our crews will be working round the clock, often in dangerous conditions, to keep Staffordshire moving. They do a fantastic job and I have no doubt they will rise to the challenge of Storm Goretti. We hope that everyone stays safe.”
The latest Met Office weather warnings can be viewed here.
Staffordshire County Council’s gritting routes can be seen here.