There were miles of tailbacks on the A55 In Pictures:Winter Wonderland

Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor and Llandudno General Hospital said staffing shortages and the treacherous driving conditions for patients had led them to close day surgery clinics on Thursday.

The shutdowns come after a snowfall on Thursday morning landed on snow which had frozen overnight, causing chaos for drivers across the area.

A number of schools and colleges have also been forced to shut their doors for the day.

Conwy Council said that 39 schools have been forced to close and 76 out of a total of 126 schools were closed in Gwynedd.

Anglesey Council decided to close its offices from 1200 GMT and most council services have been suspended.

Snow continues to fall over many parts of the island and more unpleasant weather is expected over the next 24 hours with freezing temperatures forecast overnight.

All Arriva bus services in Bangor have been suspended.

Snow ploughs are working to keep the main routes open, but many minor roads remain impassable, made worse by a number of minor accidents.

There was chaos on the rush hour A55 road from Anglesey into Bangor with bumper to bumper traffic tailbacks stretching for several miles.

Commuters into Bangor's city centre were met with long delays as many side roads were closed because they were too treacherous to drive through.

Many cars were simply abandoned on the road side by drivers whose vehicles had succumbed to the effects of the weather.

Traffic on the dual-carriageway Felinheli by-pass near Bangor was said to be moving "at a snail's pace" and traffic on the north Wales coast road also remains slow.

At 1400 GMT North Wales Police warned motorists to remove their abandoned cars from the Felinheli by-pass within the hour or they would be towed away.

A spokesman said the cars posed a "danger" to road safety and asked motorists to remove them as weather conditions were improving.

In Gwynedd, all main routes are said passable with care except for the Crimea pass. Twenty-five gritters are out on the roads.

School closures

All roads in Conwy are still open but passable only with great care.

Snow ploughs are trying to keep main routes clear of snow

However, the weather is said to be deteriorating. The A55 is down to one lane in both directions, and the two other main routes through the region - the A5 and A470 - are also treacherous but still open.

Coleg Menai in Bangor is closed and Ysgol Gynradd Maesincla in Caernarfon and Ysgol Felinwnda, Llanwnda have told pupils to stay away from classes.

Other school closures include: Ysgol Glancegin Maesgyrchen, Bangor; Ysgol Gynradd Tregarth, Bangor; Ysgol Gynradd Bodfeurig Sling, Tregarth, Bangor; Ysgol Bethel, Caernarfon.

The freezing temperatures and snow have even left some families in the Penisarnwaen area near Caernarfon stranded in their homes.

Gwynedd Council has also cancelled its meeting later on Thursday.