Forecasters have warned of sub-zero temperatures across the county tomorrow night and Saturday with icy winds making it feel extremely cold during the day.

Julian Mayes, senior forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, said: "It is certainly going to become significantly colder on Friday across Northamptonshire.

"It is going to feel distinctly cooler with a fresh wind from the Arctic creating a distinct chill in the air. There will be a touch of ground frost on Friday and Saturday night.

"Even if it looks sunny it is going to feel very different as soon as people step outside their front door." Friday night is expected to be the coldest for Northamptonshire with temperatures dipping to -1C and then on Saturday night hovering around 0C.

However, Northamptonshire is expected to escape the snow showers due to fall in the north and coastal areas of the country but some rain is predicted to fall in the county on Sunday.

Motorists and pedestrians have been warned to take extra care during the cold snap and the county council has put its fleet of gritters on standby.

MGWSP, Northamptonshire County Council's highways contractor, has stockpiled thousands of tons of salt at its Brixworth depot and will be sending out gritters tomorrow night,

The contractor has increased the number of gritting routes from 25 last year to 31 this winter to ensure more villages are linked to the primary routes. There are also 12 new additional drivers.

Gritting is done on a priority basis around the county depending on the data collected relating to past accidents or problem areas. A salting network has been devised so that roads carrying the highest amounts of traffic and with the highest risk of accidents are treated.

The motorways and trunk roads are the responsibility of the Highways Agency.