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The severe winter of 1939-40


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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

The winter of 1939-40 was the coldest for 45 years with a CET of 1.5 and contained one of the coldest months on record.

The winter started off mild, a carry over from the very mild November, CET 8.7 (+2.9) but it became cooler during first fortnight of December. First half December: 4.7

Rslp19391209.gif

The real cold spell came during the latter half of December 1939 when an anticyclone became established and this brought frosts and fog at night.

January 1940 was a severe wintry month with frequent frosts and heavy snowfalls. The CET for the month was -1.4C, the first sub zero CET month of the 20th Century and the coldest month since February 1895.

After an initial cold start to January, it became milder around the 6th as a southerly flow covered the UK

Rslp19400106.gif

By the 10th, an anticyclone from Europe extended across the UK and it became colder again with extensive frosts. The first snowfalls came on a northerly as a low pressure pushed into Scandinavia and pressure built over Greenland. The 16th was a particularly cold day in a biting ENE wind and the following few days were some of the coldest of the winter.

Rslp19400116.gif

On the night of the 23rd, a minimum of -23.3C was recorded at Rhaydaer(Powys) a record low for that date. Other lows include -20C at Canterbury, Welshpool, Hereford and Newport in Shropshire.

The Thames was frozen for 8 miles between Teddington and Sunbury and ice covered stretches of the Mersey, Humber and Severn.

The sea froze at Bognor Regis and Folkestone and Southampton harbours were iced over. The Grand Union Canal was completely frozen over between Birmingham and London. Central London was below freezing for a week and there was skating on the Serpentine on 6" ice.

However January 1940 will always be remembered for the snowstorm and icestorm that struck the UK.

SNOWSTORM

On the 26th, two occlusions were moving up from the SW engaged the cold air over the UK. At the same time, the anticyclone over Scandinavia was intensifying blocking the fronts from pushing through the UK, they became stationary over Wales and SW England. This resulted in a great snowstorm across many northern and eastern areas.

Vast areas of northern England reported between 30-60cm of level snow, the higher parts in excess of 60cm+. The snow drifted in the strong SEly wind even in the centre of London. Other reports of snow depths include Eastbourne:- 25cm, Pontefract:- 37cm, Malvern:- 60cm and Exmoor:- drifts of 2.5m. The snowfall lasted to the 29th of January

ICESTORM

On the low ground in the south, the preciptation fell as freezing rain. The raindrops were of the supercooled nature, so when the rain hit the surface it would freeze instantly. This is a rare event in the UK and the 1940 is reckoned to be the severest that has struck the UK in recorded history.

The duration of the storm was remarkable lasting up to 48 hours in places. For instance at Cirencester, 48hrs of freezing rain fell in temperatures of between -2 and -4C. The effect of this prolonged icestorm was severe and damaging. Many telegraph poles and wires were snapped unable to cope with the weight of the ice. Flora and fauna suffered as well, many tree branches were snapped off by the enormous weight of ice, birds were unable to fly because ice accumulated on their wings. Travel was next to impossible as roads and pavements became skating rinks. Any sloped surface was impossible to climb.

Rslp19400127.gif

The battle between the cold continential air and the milder Atlantic air continued until the end of the month.

Rslp19400131.gif

The start of February continued the battle and it was the 4th when the Atlantic finally won the skirmish on the 4th. This brought a thaw to the the mass of snow and ice that had accumulated.

The thaw was short lived as the colder air pushed back westwards and it became cold yet again on the 10th.

Rslp19400210.gif

The winter finally broke on the 20th as mild tropical southwesterlies flloded the UK and the rest of the month was milder

Rslp19400220.gif

Data for Winter 1939-40

December 1939: 3.2 (-1.5)

January 1940: -1.4 (-5.6)

February 1940: 2.6 (-1.4)

January 1940 is the 11th coldest on record, the nights were especially cold with a CET minimum of -4.5C

The coldest spells of the winter

28th Dec-4th Jan: -1.7

10th-19th Feb 1940: -1.8

10th-24th Jan 1940: -3.5

10th January-19th February: -1.2

28th Dec-19th Feb: -0.8

Second half of January: -2.7

First half of February: 0.8

The mildest CET day: 12.5C 27th February

Rslp19400227.gif

The coldest CET day: -3.8C 20th January

Rslp19400120.gif

The coldest CET night: -13.4C 21st January

Rslp19400121.gif

This was the first winter of the Second World War and the cold hit many parts of Europe. Oporto in Portugal and Corunna in Spain reported heavy snowfalls, the first for many years. In Norway and Sweden, the mercury in thermometers froze, the Danube froze and th morale of Allied men awaiting for the Germans was severely affected by the penetrating cold.

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  • 3 years later...
Posted
  • Location: Beccles, Suffolk.
  • Weather Preferences: Thunder, snow, heat, sunshine...
  • Location: Beccles, Suffolk.

Thanks Mr D. Wasn't that the winter that screwed the Nazis in Russia??

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

Thanks Mr D. Wasn't that the winter that screwed the Nazis in Russia??

No, that was 1941-42 :aggressive:

This winter made monkeys of the Russians when they took on the Finns. They eventually won but it made themselves (the Russians) look bunglers.

Edited by Mr_Data
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Posted
  • Location: Birmingham U.K.
  • Location: Birmingham U.K.

Thanks Mr D. Wasn't that the winter that screwed the Nazis in Russia??

Hi, Pete.

If I may be bold and reply to that question - the winter you have in mind was '41 - '42.

The Nazis didn't invade until June 41.

For a really good read on the subject, 'Stalingrad' by Anthony Beevor is perhaps the definitive work on that particularly horrific period.

Every best wish for the New Yeaar.

Kind regards,

Mike.

P.S. Just spotted Mr. Data's reply - apologies. May I also add many thanks, Mr. Data, for such an interesting post.

Edited by Winston
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Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)

seems very similar to the November and Dec just gone..only this December was 0.5c colder...what if January 2010 were to come in 0.5c colder than 1940 eh? :rolleyes:

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Posted
  • Location: Beccles, Suffolk.
  • Weather Preferences: Thunder, snow, heat, sunshine...
  • Location: Beccles, Suffolk.

Thanks guys. I had a sneaky feeling that I had the wrong year! :help::shok:

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  • 11 years later...
Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

Reporting of weather events during World War 2 was severely restricted, often a newspaper article on  a weather event was publixhed a few days later.

Here are Guardian reports on January 1940

KFIr5LQ.jpg      H7MKq2O.jpg      2yMLca2.jpg     NX4hjUE.jpg    66If2zm.jpg

 

8HYWpQP.jpg     YRC4MDZ.jpg    IDcDGan.jpg      H3rQ07A.jpg

 

QmMlfCE.jpg    fhOeOM4.jpg    q8fqnOg.jpg   FFcmZH2.jpg      xcVFjyq.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

Thanks for these weather-history. Mean in Jan 1940 in London was -8.1F below average, a figure only surpassed (until 1964) in Feb 1895 and Jan 1963. Photos from the winter of 39/40 are unsurprisingly scarce but I recall seeing 1-2 of the ice which formed on trees and telegraph poles after a spell of freezing rain on 28th Jan and, delightful as the ice must have looked, it did great damage to wires, pylons and lines. Bearing in mind the circumstances in the UK at the time, that winter must have been a dreadful experience for all involved, although it perhaps helped to extend the 'phony war' in the UK until the late Spring of 1940. 

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Posted
  • Location: halifax 125m
  • Weather Preferences: extremes the unusual and interesting facts
  • Location: halifax 125m

snow.thumb.jpg.6dcb988f14b8053bdf8bb976f22202f8.jpg

I once asked an old Farmer,Which winter was worse,1947 or 1963?,his reply was 1940!

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Posted
  • Location: Poole, Dorset 42m ASL
  • Location: Poole, Dorset 42m ASL
On 12/11/2021 at 17:55, hillbilly said:

snow.thumb.jpg.6dcb988f14b8053bdf8bb976f22202f8.jpg

I once asked an old Farmer,Which winter was worse,1947 or 1963?,his reply was 1940!

Interesting, I was never around in the 40's but my mum would tell me about '47 and how deep the snow was in Leeds, but never really defined '40 as a winter to remember. Sad as she's gone so I cant ask her to compare the two..

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  • 11 months later...
Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

Pictorial history of January 1940 from newspaper photos that I have collected including some amazing photos from the glaze event

LzUhTeW.jpg  image.thumb.png.fa20099b46bb1f866df48bb0c9740069.png  ouJPCPC.jpg  ELQeyif.jpg  SAPBUeV.jpg  

IkY0esW.jpg  YOnGBj5.jpg   YA9xO7C.jpg  ehw0xQk.jpg  aFcyDVc.jpg  

aN3qIrp.jpg  kTFjS09.jpg  KCyuuDZ.jpg  BbL0PGl.jpg   nNuPMlt.jpg

 

QEXRZZQ.jpg    EySLeZV.jpg   LYdbSoW.jpg  ywBb12j.jpg   dBk04og.jpg

kNGAnTr.jpg  q8qsxGg.jpg   ZhHy0af.jpg  8tk9vtA.jpg  DnpAcGi.jpg

4Wb49cL.jpg   L1Yzb8Z.jpg   xZlPIeK.jpg   adc3aMS.jpg   i67x0Fk.jpg

YQbWn10.jpg  Ll1F9vq.jpg  tYCIyRY.jpg   afRv7X6.jpg   R8r5dUI.jpg

xarPjZ9.jpg  KM86OQK.jpg   S1J5J9I.jpgzvu4zqn.jpgu7vccNU.jpg

 

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Posted
  • Location: Bacup Lancashire, 1000ft up in the South Pennines
  • Weather Preferences: Summer heat and winter cold, and a bit of snow when on offer
  • Location: Bacup Lancashire, 1000ft up in the South Pennines
9 hours ago, Weather-history said:

Pictorial history of January 1940 from newspaper photos that I have collected including some amazing photos from the glaze event

LzUhTeW.jpg  image.thumb.png.fa20099b46bb1f866df48bb0c9740069.png  ouJPCPC.jpg  ELQeyif.jpg  SAPBUeV.jpg  

IkY0esW.jpg  YOnGBj5.jpg   YA9xO7C.jpg  ehw0xQk.jpg  aFcyDVc.jpg  

aN3qIrp.jpg  kTFjS09.jpg  KCyuuDZ.jpg  BbL0PGl.jpg   nNuPMlt.jpg

 

QEXRZZQ.jpg    EySLeZV.jpg   LYdbSoW.jpg  ywBb12j.jpg   dBk04og.jpg

kNGAnTr.jpg  q8qsxGg.jpg   ZhHy0af.jpg  8tk9vtA.jpg  DnpAcGi.jpg

4Wb49cL.jpg   L1Yzb8Z.jpg   xZlPIeK.jpg   adc3aMS.jpg   i67x0Fk.jpg

YQbWn10.jpg  Ll1F9vq.jpg  tYCIyRY.jpg   afRv7X6.jpg   R8r5dUI.jpg

xarPjZ9.jpg  KM86OQK.jpg   S1J5J9I.jpgzvu4zqn.jpgu7vccNU.jpg

 

Some serious depth of snow in those pictures and it’s nice to see a couple of local ones with the long since closed Travellers Rest pub and even longer closed railway at Britannia snowed in.

The Rochdale to Bacup railway reached 1000ft asl at Britannia, the highest point on the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway and it’s steep gradients along with conditions like this led to its closure with the winter of 46-47 pretty much sealing its fate.

I remember being told by family member who were around then that although 1947 was a bad winter in these parts, the snow storm of late January 1940 was the heaviest anyone could remember.

 


 

 

 

 

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