SNOW and ice brought traffic chaos to roads in the Aberdeen area.

Drivers were brought to a standstill after a string of crashes in the Aberdeen area, as motorists struggled to cope with the treacherous conditions.

Dozens of schools were closed or partially closed and Aberdeen Airport was forced to shut.

And weather forecasters warned more snow would continue to hit the Aberdeen region until Sunday.

Despite the chaos across roads in the Aberdeen area, BEAR Scotland insisted roads had been gritted through the night.

Both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils said they had crews out overnight preparing for snowfall.

The A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road saw a number of crashes. One car slid off the carriageway at Muchalls around 6.05am yesterday.

Firefighters had to cut the woman driver free and she was taken by ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Her injuries were not known.

In a separate crash, a man in his late 70s suffered serious head injuries when his car careered off the road at the Charleston flyover and hit a sign.

Another vehicle crashed on the same route just after the Marywell turnoff at 6.25am.

Meanwhile, on the A96 at Alves, near Elgin, five cars collided at 7.35am.

A Grampian Police spokeswoman said three people were taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin.

And a bus slid off the A90 near Tipperty at around 8am.

The A90 between Ellon and Balmedie, heading towards Aberdeen was at a complete standstill around 8am.

While in Bucksburn, two cars were involved in an accident on Auchmill Terrace at 8.40am.

Grampian Police were called to the scene and said a man suffered a neck injury.

At 8.50am a car ploughed into the central reservation of the A90 Aberdeen to Ellon road at Balmedie. The driver was uninjured.

And at 8.55am three cars collided on Aberdeen’s Summer Street due to black ice. No one was injured.

And another car ended up in a burn after a two-vehicle crash on Thistle Drive in Portlethen at 9.35am. Both drivers were left badly shaken.

In Aberdeenshire a total of 38 schools were either closed or partially closed and in Aberdeen City five schools sent pupils home early.

Met office forecasters said there would be wintry showers throughout Saturday and Sunday.

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