Storm Goretti brings Sheffield's first heavy snowfall of the winter, causing disruption and closures -photos
More than a fortnight after hopes of a white Christmas were dashed, Sheffield’s first heavy snowfall of the winter arrived this week amidst a flurry of weather warnings.
The Met Office warned Storm Goretti would result in a “multi-hazard” weather event, with a snowbomb over Sheffield and the Peak District triggering amber and yellow warnings of snow.
And just before 7pm on Thursday, January 8, the forecast snow arrived, as sleet turned into big flakes that began to settle, first on high ground in areas including Greystones, Crookes and Crosspool, before blanketing the rest of the city.
Winter wonderland wanderers wasted no time in making the most of the snowfall, with sledgers taking to slopes in Broomhill within the hour, and excited children making snow angels and snowmen before heading off to bed.
As ever, the heavy snowfall also delivered disruption, particularly in the hilliest areas of the city.
Drivers battled to get their cars moving through the thick blanket of snow, with many motorists getting stuck on city streets including Prince of Wales Road, Cowper Hill and Abbey Lane.
Sheffielders woke up to further disruption as schools including Tapton, High Storrs, Westfield King Edward VII announced they would not be opening as a result of the adverse weather conditions.
Elsewhere, people pulled together to get the city moving again in the early hours, with community-minded residents clearing pavements and roads.
A video shared online also showed a kind-hearted 4x4 driver towing a Culina lorry which had become stuck in a snow drift.
10-year-old Woodseats lad Harrison Sambrooks warmed the hearts of people in his community when he used his day off from school to shovel snow and clear paths in the area.
The sweet-natured schoolboy, of Fraser Crescent, Woodseats, even fetched a bucket and ran repeat trips to the grit box at the end of the road to make sure the job was done properly.
Proud mum Kat said: “He just decided he wanted to dig out all the neighbours’ paths. It was lovely to see people stop in their cars to say good job and neighbours came out to thank him.
“We have a lot of elderly neighbours he was thinking of.”
But while the inclement weather has brought out the best in some, it has not deterred would-be criminals from continuing as normal.
South Yorkshire Police reported that in the early hours of the morning, roads policing officers were on patrol and spotted a white transit van travelling along Hallwood Rise, Burncross, Sheffield, which they believed to have been stolen from the Derbyshire area.
Officers requested the driver to stop, but they failed to comply, and a pursuit began, coming to an end when the driver crashed.
Three occupants of the van fled. Thankfully, footprints left in the white canvas created by the snow allowed police to foil their escape attempt.
Police officers and specialist tracker dogs mounted a search for the trio and, following footprints in the snow which enabled officers to track the suspects down.
Three suspects, two aged 21 and one aged 16, were arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle.
Looking ahead to the weekend, there are concerns a dangerous layer of ice could be added to snow and slush still covering pavements and roads across the city in the coming hours.
The Met Office has issued Sheffield with a yellow warning of ice and snow, which came into effect at midday today, and is set to remain in place until 3pm tomorrow (Saturday, January 10, 2026).
More snow is also forecast for Sunday morning, but no additional warnings have been issued.