The big freeze could cost Britain £14.5billion as the heaviest snow for 30 years causes widespread chaos.
The bad weather meant up to half of workers stayed at home yesterday, with many roads and railways brought to a standstill by up to 47cm of snow.
It could cost the economy £690million a day and up to £14.5billion in lost business during the next three weeks, insurance company RSA said.
Missed orders, lost trade from shoppers staying at home and the costs of workers failing to turn up would add up to business misery, it warned.
There is no end in sight to the severe weather, with forecasters predicting the cold snap could last for the rest of this month.
Hundreds of schools were closed and hospitals cancelled operations yesterday, while there were reports of 50-mile traffic jams on some roads, trains were disrupted and airports shut.
Councils admitted they were running low on grit to treat roads. Last night, West Berkshire Council said: ‘We only have enough grit left for one more run on the A and B roads, and that will be this evening. Who knows when we will be getting any more?’
The Army was called in to save 1,000 stranded motorists, while an elderly driver died in a crash on an icy road in Titchfield, near Hampshire.
And it was estimated 44 per cent of workers decided to stay at home yesterday, in a snap poll of 460 companies by employment law firm Peninsula.
