orecasters who predicted last year's big freeze are warning the state is facing another "bitterly cold winter", with temperatures likely to plunge well below zero. Widespread fog is expected in December and heavy blow in January.The city council has stockpiled 5200 tonnes of salt, with another 2000 tonnes on order, and clear a storage "dome" at its Bankhead depot to leave space for a salt reserve 40 per cent bigger than last year.A council spokesman said: "We have been stockpiling salt since August and are expecting more deliveries in the upcoming weeks so we're before of the game."The council has also bought another five gritters to add to the 26 it used last winter and an additional eight mini-tractors to append its gritting fleet of 18.The city spent almost its whole 1.4 million winter maintenance budget in the 1st week of January as it was constrained to buy in more salt from the Highlands and take private salting firms to prop up its own stretched service."It's worth noting that we never really ran out of salt this year, unlike some other local authorities," the council spokesman added. "So we mean to be a similar program to live year, improved by the increased storage and stockpiling."It is unclear yet how often this year's operation is probably to cost.Forecasters Positive Weather Solutions said Scotland was in the strange position of facing a second extremely severe winter in a row. Senior forecaster Jonathan Powell said: "Scotland has another bitterly cold winter in store. Temperatures will rival those seen last year, with snowfall a near match."The firm, which uses long-term weather patterns, said a white Christmas is a distinct possibility. Last winter was the coldest recorded in Scotland for 31 years.
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