It may not quite been the return of the feared Beast from the East.
But the past winter has sent a chill through the bones of Angus Council finance chiefs.
And what has been branded one of the hardest seasons in recent times has blown a near half-million pound hole through the authority’s winter maintenance budget.
Communities committee councillors have been told the 2020/21 winter saw the seventh highest number of days with fresh lying snow in the past 15 years.
Gritters were out in force as the mercury plummeted in January and February.
It was a spell which saw temperatures plunge to a season low chillier than minus 13C.
November gritting start
Gritter crews went on full weather alert from November 2 until March 28.
But reduced teams were on two-week standby either side of those dates.
The first gritting took place on November 19
A late blast of icy weather meant the council extended the lead-out period an extra two weeks to April 18.
Council roads and transportation service leader, Walter Scott said: “The winter just experienced was one of the hardest in recent times.
“Many of our customers are unaware of our treatment activities where freezing conditions require attention often in the early hours of the morning.
“Routes frequently require retreatment with rain washing off salt after treatment,” he added.
The period also saw the third highest number of priority footway routes treated in 15 years.
Above average
Mr Scott added: “The second half of the season required higher than average treatment, especially in January and February which saw sustained sub-zero temperatures and snow.
“The lowest temperature on the network was recorded as minus 13.1 degrees Celsius at Lochlair on February 10.”
It meant 14,130 tonnes of salt was used to combat the conditions, from a 19,000 tonne stock heading into the winter.
“During extremes of snow, an amount of sand was mixed with salt on a 50/50 basis to help with traction in line with the winter services policy,” added Mr Scott.
“Over the summer, supplies will be restocked to approximately 19,000 tonnes – 13,000 tonnes of which will be marine salt, to be stored in Forfar and Arbroath, and 6,000 tonnes of rock salt, to be held in the covered store in Forfar.
“The A90 trunk road, which is maintained by BEAR Scotland Ltd on behalf of Transport Scotland, experienced generally the same weather conditions as the local roads and it was not necessary for the council to assist with winter maintenance on the trunk road at any time during 2020/21.”
The official revealed a winter service spend of £3.098 million was £457,000 above the budgeted 2020/21 figure of £2.641m.
The budget figure included a Tayside Contracts standing charge of £1.4m, leaving 46% of the total figure for the day-to-day operational costs of fighting the elements.