Having issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice yesterday, Thursday, the Met Office has now upgraded these to amber.
A yellow warning for ice comes into effect for Warrington from 4pm today, Friday, until 10am tomorrow morning, Saturday.
Then, the amber snow and ice weather warning begins at 6pm tomorrow, Saturday, running through to midday on Sunday.
Forecasters say that snow and freezing rain will likely lead to disruption to transport and some other services, such as power and mobile phone coverage
Travel delays on roads are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers, while some road closures and longer journey times are possible.
Untreated pavements and cycle paths are likely to be impassable, the warning states.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Snow will become persistent and locally heavy as it pushes south to north across the warning area.
“As well as snow, a period of freezing rain is also likely bringing some hazardous travel conditions, before milder air follows across all areas by Sunday morning.
“While there is some uncertainty in details, 3cm to 7cm of snow is likely for much of the warning area, with 15cm to 30cm for the higher ground of Wales and the southern Pennines.
“Freezing rain could lead to ice accretion in places, especially in parts of Wales, before the milder air leads to a rapid thaw of snow and ice in the south of the warning area through Sunday.”