The Beast from the East has brought with it bitterly cold temperatures, but that hasn’t stopped people young and old from getting outside and enjoying some fun in the snow.

East Anglian Daily Times: Martin and Rachel Haindl playing with their dog in Abbey Gardens. Picture: GREGG BROWNMartin and Rachel Haindl playing with their dog in Abbey Gardens. Picture: GREGG BROWN

Temperatures dropped as low as -9C in parts of Suffolk, making it the coldest night of winter so far this season.

East Anglian Daily Times: Martin and Rachel Haindl's pup enjoys some fun in the snow in Abbey Gardens. Picture: GREGG BROWNMartin and Rachel Haindl's pup enjoys some fun in the snow in Abbey Gardens. Picture: GREGG BROWN

By tonight, between 10cm and 15cm of snow is expected to have fallen in coastal areas such as Harwich, Felixstowe and Clacton.

In Ipswich and east Suffolk, between 5cm and 10cm is predicted to fall - with more forecast overnight tonight.

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

The weather brought with it a number of school closures, and parks and open spaces across Suffolk and north Essex have been packed with frolickers today after the region woke to a thick blanket of snow.

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

Hundreds of people descended on Christchurch Park in Ipswich to try out their sledges, while in the west of the county the Abbey Gardens and Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds proved popular.

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

Our photographers were out and about snapping pictures of the fun today. Did we capture you?

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

To send your own pictures to us, email newsroom@archant.co.uk

To order any of the pictures taken by our photographers today, click here.

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Elijah and Rachel Fowler playing in the snow at Nowton Park. Picture: GREGG BROWNElijah and Rachel Fowler playing in the snow at Nowton Park. Picture: GREGG BROWN

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Rebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNRebecca Bantick with her children Joey and Millie in the snow at Christchurch Park. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Hugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNHugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Maria Gornall having fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNNMaria Gornall having fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Hugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNHugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Hugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNHugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Hugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNHugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Hugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNHugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Hugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNHugo and Oscar French have fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: Elijah Fowler having fun in Nowton Park. Picture: GREGG BROWNElijah Fowler having fun in Nowton Park. Picture: GREGG BROWN

East Anglian Daily Times: Maria Gornall having fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNNMaria Gornall having fun in the snow. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNN (Image: Archant)