A TOUCH of the Arctic came to Notts yesterday as snow flurries were blown in from the north-east.
The day started with temperatures as low as -3C and only rose to -1.
But the gusting north-easterly wind made it feel much colder.
Dan Williams, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: "The temperatures we saw yesterday were not something we would see every year in March.
"It has been pretty cold and we have to look back a few years to see these low temperatures in March.
"It is not that unusual to see periods of snow in March as you start to travel up the country to the North via the Midlands, but the temperatures are extremely cold."
Mr Williams said the cold front was coming from the continent.
"The cold air flow is from the north-east, coming in from the colder parts of Europe where there are a lot of snow-capped mountains."
There were "moderate" snow flurries across Notts but the snow did not settle apart from on higher ground. Mr Williams said temperatures were expected to rise gradually towards the end of the week.
He said: "It is feeling particularly cold in the Midlands, especially in the brisk winds which are making temperatures outside feel very bitter.
"The snow flurries will move on through the night on Monday towards the south. There is the chance of seeing some more snow showers on Tuesday, here and there. After a dry start on Tuesday the snow could start but we do not expect it to cause any disruption for Notts. The top temperature will be around 2C.
"Wednesday is a similar picture but again we do not expect the snow to settle. Temperatures will slowly recover as we go through the week until by Friday you may see temperatures of around 7C."
Notts County Council's gritting teams were out on major roads and bus routes last tonight.
They were also out over the weekend, making two runs on Saturday and again on Sunday as temperatures dipped below zero.
Last year the county's gritters were out five times in March and four times in April – the final occasion being on April 14.
The council's 23 gritting vehicles treat all A and B roads and main bus routes.
Since gritting started last October, the council has worked its way through 22,000 tonnes of salt.
Supplies are constantly replenished and stocks at highways depots stand at 16,000 tonnes.