The Council continues to monitor the uncertain forecast for Storm Goretti, which is due to arrive later this evening (Thursday, January 8) and continue through the night. Heavy snow continues to be forecast, particularly in the north of Rhondda Cynon Taf and on our mountain roads.
The Met Office forecast remains largely unchanged from yesterday’s update – that snow accumulations could reach 10-15cm fairly widely, with a potential for 20-30cm in some elevated locations. The heaviest snowfall is expected in areas of mid and north Wales, with northern areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf forming the southernmost area of the Amber warning that is in place.
Where areas do not have snow, there is the chance for significant rainfall and heavy winds – though specific Met Office warnings for rain and wind do not cover the County Borough. Across all areas, the Met Office advises that travel delays on road and rail are likely, while communities may face power cuts.
The Council is making preparations for the ‘worst-case’ forecast. This includes readying our own crews/vehicles, along with those from trusted contractors. This means the Council has a fleet of snow ploughs, tractors, JCBs and gritting vehicles on standby, ready to deploy across the County Borough
Our gritting crews are continuing to work around the clock, to ensure our main routes and car parks are treated in advance of forecasted cold weather. They are following our established salting route network.
This evening (Thursday), our crews will head out from 5pm onwards to treat the full network, with extra resources working through the night. The network will be treated again at 2am (Friday), with resources also able to be deployed at any time, when needed.
Crews are already in place on our mountain roads and will remain there right through the night, with snow ploughs available if needed. The first snowfall at these locations has already been experienced on Thursday afternoon. We may need to close one or more of these mountain roads if the conditions become unsafe – please follow our Facebook page for updates throughout.
It is very important that vehicles are parked considerately in residential areas, to ensure our gritting crews can pass. If a road is blocked, it could result in a local street or area being inaccessible to gritters or snow ploughs.
The Met Office forecast is for a YELLOW weather warning for heavy snow to start from 5pm on Thursday, January 8. An AMBER warning will then start from 8pm on Thursday January 8, until 9am on Friday, January 9. The Yellow warning then concludes by midday on Friday.
Important advice and information
Keep up with the changing Met Office weather warnings through its website.
Our crews are also busy filling self-help grit bins in your community. To request that a grit bin is filled, please complete this quick and easy function on the Council’s website.
At this moment, waste and recycling collections are unaffected, but this is subject to change. Residents should put their waste/recycling out for collection as normal. If we can’t reach you due to the weather, we’ll try again very soon – so please keep your waste/recycling stored at your usual collection point.
The need for school closures is assessed by headteachers and governing bodies, rather than the Council. There is a dedicated school closures page on our website, which individual schools will update if they need to close.
Safe and Warm Spaces remain open in our communities – to bring residents together, provide a warm and welcoming environment, and ensure no one has to face the long winter days alone. Find out more, including a list of all the Safe and Warm Spaces locations, on our dedicated homepage.
Finally, our Your Neighbours Need You campaign gives advice to residents about how they could help if severe winter weather arrives. This can range from checking in on an elderly or vulnerable neighbour, to spreading salt from grit bins and clearing snow safely. Further information can be found here.
Posted on 08/01/2026