Manchester Airport said it had to shut down on Thursday morning to allow snow plows to clear the runways. The airport reopened hours later, but passengers were warned to expect delays.
Britain's weather forecast service, the Met Office, has issued a severe cold weather alert for northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with heavy snow and sleet showers expected.
Officials in Sheffield, central England, reported about 30cm of snow.
More than a dozen train services were cancelled between Manchester and York and heavy snow also forced the closure of main roads in the Durham and Yorkshire areas.
More than 100 schools were closed.