People have criticised the Met Office for not increasing their warning level in Cumbria as hundreds of motorists were left stranded on Saturday.
It comes as a homeless man who used his car for shelter died as a cold snap hit the country and temperatures dropped to -10C.
Police officers were captured on video, which was circulated on X, gathered around a black car in Beeston, Nottinghamshire.
With an ambulance parked nearby, the man was removed from the frosted vehicle as firefighters cut him free.
The Met Office had a number of warnings in place for “wintry showers” but some criticised their lack of warning as parts of the UK were hit with heavy snow.
Taking to X, user @JoshSey23171598 questioned how the Met Office modelling got it so wrong.
He said: “I see locally the 1-3cm was wrong. Met Office put out low levels. And completely unacceptable for the snow event yesterday. 4-5cm in some parts of Cumbria and it wasn’t even picked up to be anywhere near that. The modelling still needs improvements.
“For snow lovers like myself, getting it wrong in the way of there being more snow than forecast is no problem – for people who like it or who are not driving. But it also can be very serious un-forcasted depths like that such as Cumbria. Modelling needs improvements.”
Footage showed children struggling through the snow after their parents were forced to abandon their car in Cumbria.
The family walked 4.4 miles from Ambleside to Windemere as emergency services rushed to the scene where numerous motorists were stranded.
A major incident was declared in Cumbria by police. In a statement, Cumbria Police said: “A major incident has been declared. Police are reiterating their message to the public that people should only travel where necessary today, particularly those considering travelling in the South Lakes and Millom areas. Due to the current and forecasted low temperatures, road conditions will remain challenging.”
A homeless man who died in his car was found on Friday morning at around 10am. It is thought that the man relied on the motor for warmth and shelter.
In a statement, Detective Inspector Claire Gould described the incident as “tragic” but said it was not being treated as suspicious. She said: “Police were called to Dallas York Road, Beeston, at around 10am (1 December) following reports of a man’s sudden death.”
The Met Office had yellow warnings in place on Friday and Saturday but did not predict the snowstorm that hit Cumbria on Saturday.
Superintendent Andy Wilkinson said: “Agencies across Cumbria are working together in response to the impact that heavy snowfall is continuing to have on the county’s roads. We are working at pace, to help clear roads so those currently affected can get moving.”
The Met Office has been approached for comment.
