LIVE Global accident monitoring — updating every 15 minutes
LIVEACCIDENTTRACKER
Home / UK / Is It Closed? / Woodhead Pass (A628)
Live check · A628 · snow and ice

Is the Woodhead Pass Open Today?

Status at 22:26 UK time, Mon 2 Nov 2026: no closure or restriction reported for the Woodhead Pass in National Highways planned closures (updated 21:47) and National Highways incidents (updated 22:16). That is not a guarantee it is open: confirm with National Highways before you travel. Forecast for the top: no snow, ice or fog flagged in the next 48 hours (lowest 6°C, gusts up to 31 mph).

Page checked · National Highways planned closures updated · National Highways incidents updated · forecast updated . Times are UK time.

The A628 Woodhead Pass crosses the Pennines between Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire and is a National Highways trunk road. In heavy snow it is closed at gates between the A616 at Flouch (near Penistone) and the A57 near Tintwistle/Hollingworth.

Official feeds · checked 22:26

Closures and incidents reported now

No closure, restriction or incident reported near the Woodhead Pass in the feeds below at 22:26. Confirm with National Highways before you travel.

The A628 is a National Highways road, so its planned-closure and incident feeds cover it. Snow closures are decided on the day and may reach the incident feed late, so check National Highways before you set off.

National Highways · planned works

Planned closures in the next 48 hours

No planned closure is listed near the Woodhead Pass for the next 48 hours.

Open-Meteo forecast · next 48 hours

Snow, ice, fog and wind risk at the top

No trigger reached in the next 48 hours. Max gust 31 mph from the ENE (Wed 14:00); snow 0.0 cm in total; lowest 6°C.

22:0004:0010:0016:0022:0004:0010:0016:00
No trigger reachedWatch / first levelRestriction possibleClosure possibleBar height = forecast gust
UK timeRiskGustWindTempSnowVisibility
Mon 22:00 No trigger reached 26 mph 11 mph NE 6.7°C0.0 cm6,120 m
Tue 01:00 No trigger reached 25 mph 11 mph NE 6.8°C0.0 cm10 km+
Tue 04:00 No trigger reached 23 mph 10 mph NE 6.5°C0.0 cm10 km+
Tue 07:00 No trigger reached 26 mph 12 mph NE 6.4°C0.0 cm10 km+
Tue 10:00 No trigger reached 28 mph 13 mph NE 6.6°C0.0 cm10 km+
Tue 13:00 No trigger reached 28 mph 13 mph NE 7.8°C0.0 cm10 km+
Tue 16:00 No trigger reached 26 mph 12 mph NE 7°C0.0 cm10 km+
Tue 19:00 No trigger reached 25 mph 12 mph NE 6.2°C0.0 cm10 km+
Tue 22:00 No trigger reached 22 mph 10 mph NE 5.7°C0.0 cm10 km+
Wed 01:00 No trigger reached 20 mph 9 mph NE 5.7°C0.0 cm6,020 m
Wed 04:00 No trigger reached 23 mph 10 mph ENE 5.8°C0.0 cm5,180 m
Wed 07:00 No trigger reached 24 mph 11 mph ENE 6.1°C0.0 cm1,280 m
Wed 10:00 No trigger reached 27 mph 13 mph E 6.9°C0.0 cm10 km+
Wed 13:00 No trigger reached 29 mph 14 mph ENE 7.9°C0.0 cm9,560 m
Wed 16:00 No trigger reached 28 mph 13 mph ENE 7.3°C0.0 cm10 km+
Wed 19:00 No trigger reached 24 mph 11 mph ENE 6.3°C0.0 cm10 km+

Every third hour is shown, plus every hour with a flag. Forecast point: 53.498, -1.790 (model ground height 410 m). Gusts are 10 m forecasts for the model grid square; a bridge deck or an exposed summit can see stronger gusts.

Official rules

What triggers a closure or a ban

TriggerWhat happensSource
Heavy snow, drifting or high winds (no fixed trigger)National Highways closes the pass in both directions between the A616 (Flouch) and the A57 (Hollingworth/Tintwistle). There is no published snow-depth or wind trigger. National Highways (closure section as given in its past closure notices)
checked 2026-11-02 · partial: closure section from past National Highways notices quoted in local news; no standing policy page found

This is general information, not legal advice. Operators can change their rules and close a road for other reasons (crashes, ice, works, police instruction) at any time; signs on the road always win.

Usual diversion

In past snow closures drivers were told to use the M62 (with the M60 and M1) instead. National Highways signs the diversion for each closure.

Check before you go

Official status pages

Questions

Woodhead Pass (A628) — FAQ

Is the Woodhead Pass Open Right Now?
Status at 22:26 UK time, Mon 2 Nov 2026: no closure or restriction reported for the Woodhead Pass in National Highways planned closures (updated 21:47) and National Highways incidents (updated 22:16). That is not a guarantee it is open: confirm with National Highways before you travel. Forecast for the top: no snow, ice or fog flagged in the next 48 hours (lowest 6°C, gusts up to 31 mph).
Is the Woodhead Pass open today?
The live block at the top of this page shows any A628 closure or incident in National Highways' feeds near the pass, with the time of the check. Snow closures are decided on the day, so confirm with National Highways.
Is the Woodhead Pass closed tonight?
Planned overnight works on the A628 are listed above with times when National Highways publishes them. Weather closures can come at any hour: see the 48-hour snow and ice strip.
Where is the Woodhead Pass closed in snow?
Between the A616 at Flouch, near Penistone, and the A57 near Tintwistle/Hollingworth.
What is the alternative to the Woodhead Pass?
The M62 (with the M60 and M1). The Snake Pass is higher and usually closes first.

Sources and method. Planned closures: National Highways Road and Lane Closures API (England, refreshed hourly). Live incidents: National Highways, Traffic Wales and Traffic Scotland feeds (every 15 minutes), matched by road number and a small box around each structure. Weather: Open-Meteo forecast API, CC BY 4.0, refreshed hourly. Risk levels apply each operator's published rule to the forecast gust (or our own bands where no rule is published, marked as ours); they are a guide, not an operator decision. A wind closure is often decided within the hour and can reach the feeds late, so always check the operator. Rules checked 2 November 2026.

Related: all UK bridges and passes · Snake Pass status · M62 live road page · motorway closures tonight · weather warnings · will the roads be icy? · gritter trackers · live traffic incidents