Milkmen, posties and paperboys and girls have been asked to head a voluntary corps of neighbours and visitors in looking out for the UK's elderly and vulnerable during a spell of wintry weather that is expected for up to a month.
Two bands of snowfall caused minor disruption in parts of England on Monday and the Meteorological Office's yellow "be aware" alert – the second lowest of four – remains in force in western and eastern areas, with milder weather down the country's spine.
Traffic was slowed to a crawl by a blizzard on the M11 in Cambridgeshire and a skidding accident on the M40 led to four people being injured and caused long delays. A 10-car pile-up had the same effect on the M4 near Hungerford but drivers escaped with minor injuries.
Four lorries got stuck in snow on the A44 at Bourton-on-the-Hill in the Cotswolds and train services were hit by ice and snow, including First Capital Connect between Cambridge and London. Other problems delayed arrivals, appropriately, at Snow Hill station in Birmingham but the cause was signalling failure rather than the weather.
Snowfall was deepest in parts of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, where it reached 5cm (4ins) but this was only half the amount some forecasters had predicted. In other areas, including Yorkshire, where Leeds Bradford airport initially posted a disruption warning online, thaw set in by midday and plane services were not affected.
The Local Government Association urged people to keep an eye out for their neighbours. David Rogers, chairman of the LGA's community wellbeing board, said: "As well as gritting our roads and clearing snow, council teams are ready to be drafted in to provide a variety of services to help the vulnerable deal with the severe winter weather, from carrying out emergency household repairs to delivering hot meals and portable heaters.
"But council staff can't be everywhere. They rely on community-spirited residents to look out for each other. We are calling on neighbours, postmen, milkmen and paperboys to step up and help save lives by knocking on doors and reporting anything out of the ordinary. Just a call on an elderly neighbour who's perhaps unable to ask for help can make all the difference.
"They may just need an extra blanket getting down from the loft or perhaps they didn't get out to collect their medicine this week. It takes no time to check in but could potentially save lives."
The head of UK policy at Save the Children, Chris Wellings, said: "The poorest families will struggle to cope with this cold snap. Parents on low incomes are already having difficulty affording even basic essentials such as warm winter clothing and a hot meal every day for their children as living costs continue to rise.
"As temperatures plummet many simply don't have the money to heat their homes. The government must ensure that the poorest families can afford to keep warm."
The Met Office suggests further but more modest snowfalls during the rest of the week, which will also see prolonged cold but sunny spells.
The pattern of conflicting cold and milder Atlantic fronts is complicated and the Met Office says: "There remains some uncertainty in the details throughout this period. However, on the whole it should remain on the cold and settled side across many parts of the United Kingdom, with a good deal of dry and frosty weather, especially for central and eastern areas.
"There will also be some sleet and snow on occasions, with central and eastern areas most likely to be at risk. Also there will be an ongoing risk of icy stretches overnight, and freezing fog may also be an issue during the cold and clearer nights, which may be slow to clear by day. Some milder conditions and more persistent rain and hill snow may spread into western areas on occasions from next weekend onwards."
Nick Prebble, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said that snow was unlikely to exceed 5cms (2ins) in most of England. Scotland is expected to get a "light dusting" on top of lying snow which fell over the weekend. Overnight temperatures are likely to fall to -8C (17.6F) degrees by Wednesday night.
Snow is expected to turn into rainfall in western and southern areas, and eight flood warnings are in place, six in the south-west, and 53 flood alerts, 28 in the south-east and 19 in the south-west. The AA has organised extra patrols to deal with an estimate of 56,000 breakdowns, based on a survey which suggests that three quarters of drivers have been lulled into a false sense of security by the long mild spell.
The Highways Agency has declared an amber, or second level, alert but is more bullish than for years about snow and ice preparations with 500 "state-of-the-art winter vehicles" ready to go into action. A spokesman said: "We have reviewed salt stock levels and taken action where needed to enhance our resilience and we have again established a reserve salt stock to help ensure that there is enough salt to deal with severe winter.
"Our roads will be treated whenever there is a risk of ice or snow. However, even when roads have been treated, drivers should still take care, especially on stretches where the local road layout or landscape means there could be a greater risk of ice forming.
"Road users across England are also advised to check the latest weather forecast and road conditions before they travel."
Four rescued animals in Lincolnshire were unaffected by the county bearing the brunt of the snow. The group of Hudson Bay wolf pups were taken from a pack at Wuppertal zoo in Germany, where rivalries among the adult animals threatened their lives.
Neil Mumby, owner of their new home at Woodside wildlife park near Langworth, said: "They are used to temperatures of -020C (-4F) and have a stunningly beautiful white coat to keep out the Arctic winter. So Lincolnshire is no problem, however deep the snow."
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