AND just when you thought it was safe to confine the scarves and gloves to the cupboard...

Dorset awoke to more blocked roads, closed schools and power cuts yesterday as blizzard conditions returned to the county with a vengeance.

Up to six inches of snow fell in a matter of hours in parts of rural Dorset, with Bournemouth suffering its heaviest March snowfall for 22 years.

Forecasters admitted they were “taken aback” by the sudden snow surge, which was never expected to produce a repeat of the ‘Big Freeze’ conditions a month ago.

Residents in Purbeck found themselves trapped in their villages, unable to get to work once more, while most of the district’s schools shut for the day.

Advertising executive Sarah Crabb walked for an hour to get to work in Swanage as the roads from Langton Matravers were impassable.

She said: “The snow was thicker than it was a few weeks ago – it came down a lot heavier.”

Snow, ice and fallen trees closed main roads, including the A35 eastbound between Bere Regis and the Baker’s Arms roundabout and the A352 between Wareham and Wool.

Trish Lea, who lives in East Holme, said she could not get to work in Weymouth. As people gave up trying to pass treacherous roads, Dorset Police even resorted to issuing advice on how to abandon vehicles safely.

There were power cuts in the Tarrants, east of Blandford, while two lorries jack-knifed on the A350 north of Blandford. Richard Wild, from Weathernet, said while rain had been predicted early yesterday morning, cold air was sucked in from the north, causing the sudden snowfall.

Bournemouth had not seen snow in March since 2001.

South West Trains services between Weymouth to Bournemouth were delayed up to 45 minutes, though Bourne-mouth Airport was unaffected.

Refuse collections in Poole were also suspended temporarily by the snow.

John Sayers, principal engineer for highways maintenance at the Borough of Poole, said though gritters had been on standby there had been no need to send them out.

In the New Forest the Bramshaw to Godshill road was closed at 8.10am after drivers reported difficulty getting up some of the hills after snow fell to the depth of three to five inches. A snowplough was sent out to clear the carriageway and the road was re-opened at 10.35am.

Elsewhere, the driver of a Ford Fiesta crashed off the A338 into a ditch at South Charford north of Breamore and a tree was brought down on the Brockenhurst to Burley road near Holmsley Tearooms.