With the potential of snow hitting Dorset in the coming days many residents will be casting their minds back to the previous years the county has seen heavy snow.

The most recent occasion came in 2018, when the majority of the county was brought to a standstill as result of the snow.

It was the first day of March when the 'Beast from the East', also known as Storm Emma, hit in 2018. Early forecasts indicated that storm might miss Dorset, or just give us a light sprinkle, but on the evening of Thursday, March 1 heavy snowfall struck the county.

The Met Office issued a red alert and many people were stuck where they were, with multiple roads closed along with schools, restaurants and shops - several events were also cancelled.

Authorities attempted to keep major routes open with snowploughs but they were battling a relentless snowstorm.

There were numerous reports of motorists abandoning vehicles on some routes while other roads were blocked by larger vehicles unable to climb hills.

Residents were urged to check on elderly relatives who were potentially suffering more than most in the bitter cold weather.

Whilst the snow brought on plenty of disruption, it also made for some beautiful scenes, as evidenced by these pictures.