Sjo via iStockParts of Scotland could face travel problems amid wintry weather and icy conditions.
The Met Office has announced a yellow ice weather warning for the north of the country that will be active from 10pm on Thursday until 9am on Friday.
The conditions are expected to mean longer travel times for drivers and rail passengers.
Overnight, temperatures could plummet as low as minus 4C in the countryside while towns and cities may see the mercury get close to 0C.
The drop, coupled with showers and some snow in higher areas, is likely to bring icy stretches to areas including Wick, Fort William, Inverurie, Inverness and parts of Aberdeen.
Stornoway and Portree also covered by the yellow warning that goes as far north as Thurso.
Heavy snowfall caused the A9 to be closed at both directions at Drumochter on Thursday evening after a ‘number of incidents’ were reported.
Traffic Scotland announced that one lane was back running in both directions from just after 7pm.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “The reason for that is low pressure being in charge of the UK’s weather today, so we’ve seen those stronger winds, and as that low pressure moves away the winds are turning around from a westerly to a northerly direction.
“So winds are going to become lighter as we go through the evening and overnight but will turn round to a northerly direction and we will see temperatures fall as a result.”
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