Read here -
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/Corporate/enewsViewer/LCO_News/WSU/CentralAndSouth/showItem.asp?ID=375
thats why they have put grit down earlier on today. Plus they go off what the road temperature is not what the air temp is. No point putting the grit down once it has already frozen.
And they have highways depots in the east of lancashire which they will have gritters out to cover that area of our region.