Heavy snowfalls and ice in parts of the country are expected to cause disruption, forecasters have warned.
Kent and East Sussex were deluged with falls of up to 10cm overnight with drifting likely to create deeper lying snow in places.
The Met Office warned of icy roads across the eastern half of England where there were lighter falls.
Sub-zero conditions were experienced in many places that missed out on snow, with the lowest temperature of minus 8C recorded in Shap, Cumbria.
A series of wintry showers swept over central and eastern Britain from the North Sea on Wednesday, bringing rain, sleet and snow to many places. The chilly weather will linger into the weekend but forecasters said the cold snap would not immediately be as severe as in December and January.
Key road routes in Kent and East Sussex were said to be hazardous for motorists, according to local radio reports. These include the A259 between Eastbourne and Bexhill, the M20 and A2 in Kent and roads around Ashford, Canterbury and Dover.
Dover Coastguard was called on to help dig out a stranded ambulance in Dover overnight. A spokesman said four of its 4x4 vehicles were helping transfer staff and patients to and from hospitals in Eastbourne and Hastings.
Fire appliances in Hastings and St Leonards were experiencing difficulties navigating in and out of their stations. However, all primary routes and secondary routes where possible were gritted on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the snow showers, Kent County Council said.
Some trains run by operators Southeastern and Southern from Kent and Sussex were subject to delays and cancellations, according to their websites. Meanwhile, more than 60 schools and nurseries in Kent were closed due to the weather conditions, and more than 30 were shut in East Sussex.
Chief Inspector Simon Black, of Kent Police, said all main routes in the county were "passable with care" but some were down to a single lane.
