Gritters and snow ploughs were out in force over the weekend battling to keep the main roads open - but most side streets and high-lying areas were still treacherous today.

But Sheffield Council said the light volume of traffic on the roads meant it took longer than usual to get the grit ground into the roads by vehicles.

Grit needs to be ground to be effective but lack of traffic meant layers of snow built up on top of it.

Sheffield Council Labour leader Coun Jan Wilson said: "It's difficult to see why there should be traffic problems on a Sunday. This weather has been forecast for a long time."

But council leader Coun Paul Scriven said: "It's been all hands-on deck. The gritters have been out for 48 hours and were out again overnight. Every single available driver has been out.

"I was stuck in the traffic myself, on Glossop Road, where it was extremely slow.

"However, when we have snow like this, it's impossible to guarantee all roads will stay open. We do our best and I can only apologise to people who were inconvenienced."

But motorists criticised the council for not keeping the roads moving.

Andrew Robinson, from Ecclesfield, said: "The chaos over the past few days on the roads makes me embarrassed to be from Sheffield.

"One inch of snow on Thursday afternoon and two on Sunday and much of the City grinds to a halt.

"The weather had been accurately forecast well in advance and neither the amount of snow nor the temperatures were exceptional - it's what happens in winter.

"We were told earlier in the week that our council was fully prepared and had higher than normal stocks of rock salt. In fact, the snow that did fall was actually less than had been forecast. So why were roads which are normally gritted not treated - where were the gritting trucks and snow-ploughs on Thursday and Sunday?

"The council tax and business rate payers deserve an explanation: what went wrong, why and what are the names of those responsible?"

Computer programmer Robert Clarke, 32, was meant to be driving back to his home in Manchester from a friends' house in Greystones but was forced to abandon his car on Ringinglow Road after snow and ice made the roads impassable.

He said: "I can't understand why these roads weren't gritted. The snow had been forecast and everyone knew it was coming.

"The driving conditions were quite terrifying and there was no way I could have made it back over the Pennines safely."

The Snake Pass was closed by police on safety grounds yesterday and remained impassable this morning.

But the Woodhead Pass was kept open despite lorries grinding to a halt on the hills, causing severe tailbacks behind them as cars.

During blizzard-like conditions on the road yesterday afternoon vehicles were forced to travel at no more than 10mph to avoid skidding.

In hilly areas of Sheffield roads quickly became gridlocked as blizzard-like conditions caught motorists out.

First made the decision to cancel all services in Sheffield at 6pm yesterday but buses were still running in Barnsley and Doncaster. The company said it would run "as normal a service as possible" today.

Buses in the Loxley, Oughtibridge and Stocksbridge areas were diverted away from the high-lying side streets on to the main roads.

Other services across the county were cancelled including Stagecoach's 20 and 20A to Hoylandswaine, the service to Silkstone was restricted, the number 21 to Penistone only went from the Interchange to Cubley along the main road and the 23 and 23A to Millhouses was cancelled.

This morning Stagecoach was not serving Streetfields in Halfway and First said some services in Doncaster were running late while drivers in Arbourthorne, High Green, Halfway and Stocksbridge were experiencing problems.

Harcourt Road in Crookesmoor, Sheffield, was temporarily closed after a car crashed in the treacherous conditions at lunchtime yesterday.

Even some of the major routes suffered problems yesterday, with traffic struggling to get up the hill on the A61 near the Abbey pub, Woodseats, causing huge queues.

Many motorists heeded police advice and only travelled if necessary, with the Dronfield Bypass eerily deserted yesterday afternoon.

South Yorkshire Police appealed to members of the public not to call the force with non-emergency matters yesterday, after call handlers had been "bombarded" with complaints about issues including snowballs.

They asked people to "think twice" before calling about weather-related issues.

Weather forecasters predict the worst of the snow has passed and expect it to be mainly dry with sunny spells today but they are warning of the odd snow shower.

Tomorrow morning they predict a widespread frost but another mainly dry day with the chance of isolated snow showers.

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