Our younger days - Winter memories......

[Old Johnny Alps]

OK....my first post. I am very uneducated when it comes to reading the various charts out there and only got in to the weather about 5 or 6 years ago and only then because of my new found love - surfing. You want to know when the waves will be good? You need to understand what generates them and what conditions are best.

But enough of that....I was born in 1971 so my first (as with others on here) will have been the 1979 winter. We lived at the bottom of a small hill and a 100 yards from Farthing Downs which had two excellent sledging runs. My main memory is of my family and all the neighbours finding whatever they could sit on to sledge down the snowy road (cars could not pass) - it was such good fun and neighbours young and old were joining in and crashing into their garden gates or just falling off, everybody laughing their heads off. I also remember going down the sledging run near my house with friends and very nearly coming a cropper with my out of control sledge and shooting straight into some bushes and under a fence (and only because I went horizontal at the last minute). Few bruises and a couple of cuts but......worth it!

As like most on here I was then hooked. A sent home from school day round about that time was like heaven.....no school and fun in the snow instead? Oh OK then! I would go to the front of the house and watch the snow falling in the street lights and my heart would sink when it became lighter and lighter.

Will I sound a really old git if I say "it don't snow like it used to!"......the reality of it is we are talking about the weather.....and the weather will always be unpredictable. The 26 and under guys/gals will surely witness a decent event....I for one don't believe that we won't see something significant.....you never know.....it could be this one!

[osmposm]

I was born in 1971..........Will I sound a really old git if I say "it don't snow like it used to!".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Old git, indeed..??!! I was born in 1951. Now that's an old git.

Still mad about snow, though!

I'm afraid it has changed a lot since I've been around. I was trying to pinpoint the years of some old snow memories and photos (50s - early 70s) recently, and it was mostly (apart from 62-3) impossible - for the simple reason that a little research revealed too many possibilities. The truth is that a snow "event" that gets me excited now - i.e. any settling snow at all - would have happened in the vast majority of winters then, and often more than once.

I think I shall have to move to New York for the right combination of "usually something, but not guaranteed" and "sometimes bloody feet of it".

[kold weather]

It only has to snow at all to get me excited,very amazing site to see the whole street just turn a lovely white,so peaceful to see virgin snow.

[Thundery wintry showers]

The best winter I remember on Tyneside was definitely 1993-94.

The Lancastrians, for obvious reasons, prefer to reflect upon the winter of 1995-96.

My parents recall the winters of 1977-78 and 1978-79 pretty well, apparently Newcastle was cut off on in February 1978 and again in March 1979.

[Terminal Moraine]

Osmposm, I agree entirely. I was born in 1953 and began keeping detailed weather records in 1963. Looking back over the record in the 60's 70's and early 80's there are so many snow events which would send boards like this into meltdown if they were to occur again.

Personally I live in hope of another 1947, I missed out by 6 years and have only anecdotes and photographs taken by relatives plus the DWR to remind me how exceptional it was.

T.M

[osmposm]

.....Personally I live in hope of another 1947, I missed out by 6 years and have only anecdotes and  photographs taken by relatives plus the DWR to remind me how exceptional it was.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a terrible feeling that this is a really stupid question, but what's the DWR, TM? Dreadful Weather Record?!

[Terminal Moraine]

Osmposm LOL, no it's the Daily Weather Report but that would have been an apt re-naming for 1947.

T.M

[It Said Sunny Intervals]

Can't remember the dates but at least once a year we would get sent home from secondary school because of the snow. The "country" folk would go home first on the busses, before the roads got snowed up, and us "town" kids would stay and pelt the busses with snowballs.

It always seemed to snow on a sunday night. Don't know if thats when i was watching the most or if it was the thought of looking forward to a week off school.

Can remember one wednesday night when i had one of those free paper rounds, when i got £15 for delivering what seemed like thousands of free papers, it was cold there had been a few snow showers during the day but around 7.00 it started snowing and continued till i'd finished delivering my papers by which time 8.30 the main A6 road was closed and it was about 3 inches deep there were more snow showers during the night and needless to say my dad tried to get to work the day after, but gave up when his car got stuck at the bottom of the road !

Then there was Feb 1996 the only time i can remember the M6 between Preston and the North being down to 1 lane, there were cars abandoned and even a gritter got stuck just off the M6 at Carnforth, we were following it at the time ! Thats the deepest snowfall in my area i can remember.

Would be happy with one decent fall of lying snow this winter, lasting for 7/10 days then a clear frosty end to winter, you can but hope

[scott_anthony_glasgow]

Well I have had many memories of snow when I was little I remember 1995 as we had a white xmas and I remember my dad driving by a car which had a snowman on the top of it which was quite odd! <_< but the one memory that stands out most was december 28th 2000. That night was amazing here in Glasgow. I stayed up the whole night watching the snow get heavier and deeper and when It got to about 8 oclock in the morning I jumped out my house.It was hard to distinguish between cars and roads because everything was covered in over a foot of snow it was fantastic, we still had bits of snow a month later.

Then late Febuary/March 2001 we had another severe cold spell with very heavy snow and drifts we got sent home from school that day it was brillant!

I just love the anticipation of a cold spell n all the hype and excitement and I dont know about everybody else but as soon as I come home from school I log on and see the latest developments and see whats happening. Also I always watch the 22:35 weather on bbc1 and look to see if there is any weather warnings or and cold spells forecast soon :lol: Lets hope we this year will provide us with memories that we will be talking about in 10/20 years possibly longer!

[Methuselah]

OK....my first post. I am very uneducated when it comes to reading the various charts out there and only got in to the weather about 5 or 6 years ago and only then because of my new found love - surfing. You want to know when the waves will be good? You need to understand what generates them and what conditions are best.

But enough of that....I was born in 1971 so my first (as with others on here) will have been the 1979 winter. We lived at the bottom of a small hill and a 100 yards from Farthing Downs which had two excellent sledging runs. My main memory is of my family and all the neighbours finding whatever they could sit on to sledge down the snowy road (cars could not pass) - it was such good fun and neighbours young and old were joining in and crashing into their garden gates or just falling off, everybody laughing their heads off. I also remember going down the sledging run near my house with friends and very nearly coming a cropper with my out of control sledge and shooting straight into some bushes and under a fence (and only because I went horizontal at the last minute). Few bruises and a couple of cuts but......worth it!

As like most on here I was then hooked. A sent home from school day round about that time was like heaven.....no school and fun in the snow instead? Oh OK then! I would go to the front of the house and watch the snow falling in the street lights and my heart would sink when it became lighter and lighter.

Will I sound a really old git if I say "it don't snow like it used to!"......the reality of it is we are talking about the weather.....and the weather will always be unpredictable. The 26 and under guys/gals will surely witness a decent event....I for one don't believe that we won't see something significant.....you never know.....it could be this one!  <_<

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A brilliant first post OJA. And, a warm welcome to net-weather!!!!

[Rich_T]

THe first bit of real snow i can remeber was 1987, i can vaguely remeber going to school on a sledge , as it was downhill :lol:

the next bit of snow was in 1991, when i can remeber being sent home form school, and the being long powercuts ( no electricity for a week)

in recent times theres not been anyhting as deep, just an inch or so, and the last three winters have been pathetic.

Last winter, there was a slight covering, but it looked like a hard frost, instead of snowfall, this lasted for two whole days.

the year before, there was an extremly light dusting, but it was more like a light frost.

the year before that it snowed over night, settled and was gone by the morning.

the winter beofre that there was snow between christmas and new years, there was just enough to sledge on, but the farmer who keeps cows in that feild in the summer sprayed manure all over the snow, and theres no other good sledging spots localy so no one could go sledging <_<

Edited November 10, 2004 by Rich_T

[Strong Blowing Weather Girl]

Evening all- Thought Id pop a little message on here to evoke memories of what we used to do as children when we thought it was going to snow-

Heres my memories-

I was always fanatical about snow,my parents used to stand bemused at this scruffy 8 year old standing looking out of the window on the landing waiting for it to snow......

It was an obsession- every day at 12pm I would have the European weather forecast recorded onto video for me ( Usually forecast by Bill giles) so I could view the impending pressure charts.

I had all sorts of second hand temperature guages in the garden giving me that vital information-

Then sometimes the news that id been waiting for- " A blast from the East was coming"

The excitement was amazing.-

Finally the day came where the showers would come....

If it was dark I used to look to the east over shooters hill to see if the ' BLUR' level was getting worse- The blur level being the more shooters hill was blurred from sight the heavier the snow was!!!!!!

1987 was the best- Sent home from school and the heavy snow continued to fall- it lay 1ft deep on the dustbin outside- and the temp that day peaked at -5C- all in all some great memories.....

Has anyone else got any funny memories of what they used to

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well this is my 1st post, so i hope its o.k.. not very open kind of person, but Steve u seem to be my twin.. was we seperated at birth.. ??? its really funny coz i can relate to alot of what your saying.. you remember the days they used to put them fridge magnet type clouds & suns on the weather board! man they had it easy then.. they could make you belive anyting.. but i used to look out for the snow ones.. snow hitting london!! Cool.. "Mum get my sledge, were off to box hill!" Was all good till i got to about 15 tho... puberty kinda lost me the skill to balance on that sledge.. with the centre of gravity moving upwards.. So i decided to swap the Snow for the Sun!!! "come on Ibzia". only problem is snow / sand Angels, its easier to get the snow out your knickers than sand!!

Anyway im intrested in hearing other childhood memorys..

[Convection currents]

I can't pinpoint any dates (or years for that matter) when we had really good snowfall!!! I do remember the snow used to be really thick and last longer when i was younger than it does now <_<

ooooh....and welcome to Net-weather SBWG :lol:

[Strong Blowing Weather Girl]

ooooh....and welcome to Net-weather SBWG  <_<

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thx :lol:

[Stratos Ferric]

I do have to concur with others of the 40+ brigade on here that things really aren't what they used to be. I remember vaguely several big snowfalls in the late 60s, and a white christmas which I suspect was 1969. Snowfalls in those days often produced 6" or more. My dad routinely carried a spade with him when out on his travels with work during winter "just in case", but in those days heavy snow was much more of a genuine threat.

I remember heavy snow on four consecutive Thursdays in Jan 1978, and a continental spell over the Feb half term with two or three freezing days. That was another feature of snow back then, it was oftne followed by cold weather, and so persisted. Whilst last winter was (by recent standards) not bad here on my hill, most snow was of short duration and ahead of warm frontal rain.

Then there was 1979. I have reproduced my winter log elsewhere on a previous occasion but it just never stopped snowing, with snow on the ground every day from Dec 29th through to around Feb 22nd, and a series of genuine blizzards, and then a couple of heavy falls in March. The outstanding memory for me was the very start of the cold weather, watching the rain slowly turn to snow: I still ove watching the same effect to this day. I also remember walking up the field to my parents' house on the way home from school one afternoon, literally up to my thighs in level snow. I took a section that evening and there four distinct layers, with a level depth of 17".

I also remember the bitter cold of December 1981 (?), with record breaking temperatures. I keep on saying it, it really isn't like it used to be, not by a very wide margin.

[Old Johnny Alps]

A brilliant first post OJA. And, a warm welcome to net-weather!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's very kind Peter, to be honest I have perused this site since it was launched (the mass exodus from a certain cold BBC board) but being rather a novice in the old weather game I haven't really felt I could contribute to certain discussions. However I am learning fast so you never know....I might post something of some use someday! Until then.....

[R.P. McMurphy]

puberty kinda lost me the skill to balance on that sledge.. with the centre of gravity moving upwards.. only problem is snow / sand Angels, its easier to get the snow out your knickers than sand!!

--------------------

We have a light brezze tonight but I am blowing like a Gale!

Miiiiiint first post!

Welcome.

You sure your not Weather Beatens Twin?

[Old Johnny Alps]

only problem is snow / sand Angels, its easier to get the snow out your knickers than sand!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know what you mean....I still crunch when I sit down <_< !

[Strong Blowing Weather Girl]

Thx those making me feel welcome!! & if u still crunching.. remove the frozen tampax

[PB22]

Welcome to the site SBWG! I like your name!

I can vaguely remember the January 1987 cold spell...I fell over in a snowdrift and got stuck!

[Cakie]

I have a recollection of building a snowman in the main road into my town around the late 70's, so it could have been 79

I remember going to my first boyfriend's house to give him his xmas pressie in 81 (holding hands kinda boyfriend) and the snow at the side of the road being higher than the car

Most snow was up this way in 2002 when it snowed and thundered at the same time Hubbie got stuck with then 1 yr old and was 2 hours late. In the meantime I had rung the police and blubbed down the phone to them like a pathetic female

[Terminal Moraine]

One more anecdote from 1979. I was living in a tiny cottage with no central heating at that time, the same village as at present but lower down.

I remember coming downstairs one morning in February to find a snowdrift from the kitchen door, across the floor to the stairs...5 washing up bowls full in total.

We had icicles hanging from the key in the front door despite the fire being full on and the inside surface of the door was white with frost where the condensation had frozen.

Happy days.

T.M

[Jackfrost]

I haven't been around that long, so I can't remember the winters of 1990, 1987, 84, 82, 79 etc. My mother's brother once told her to jump into a ditch in the snow of 1982, and the snow wasn't supposed to be that deep. She jumped in and was stuck up to her neck in it.

Still, the at times surprisingly heavy snowfall we get here in south Wales hasn't let me down.

My earliest recollection of snow is being stuck in a car on the way home from a birthday party on December 3rd 1993. I remember the snow of March 1995, where an intense Polar Low struck. A foot of snow fell in short space of time, school was closed for a few days and I remember people building snow houses in the street. I remember quite a few falls of snow of 1ft when I lived on the edge of the Brecon Beacons between 1994 and 1997.

In more recent years, snowfall hasn't been too bad. 1997 was pretty heavy, with close to a foot of it falling, with some deep drifts. I vaguely remember a heavy fall in December 1998. The 16th is in my mind for some reason - does anyone know if it snowed around that time? I remember April 15-16th 1999 very well. Another Polar Low brought three days of havoc. It started in the early morning of the the 15th, and I think a trough followed on the night of the 15th. By the 16th 12cm had fallen on top of previously frozen snow. I had the time of my life, in some of the heaviest snow I can ever remember! School closed for about four days.

December 21st 1999 will always be with me. It has snowed lightly throughout the day but hadn't settled down here, but it had on the mountains. As it was a Saturday we decided to head up to town. By the evening we were still in town, and the snow started to come down thicker while we were in a shop. When we left the shop, everything was white. By the time we reached the bus station to get home, about 3in had settled, the busses were out of service and the police were trying to divert traffic. We had to get a taxi home, and were very lucky because he told us that he was planning to go home, and that he wasn't driving to the hillier parts of my village because of the snow. We finally got home and it continued throughout the night, and we were left with about 7in.

December 27-30th 2000 was another significant fall. 6in fell overight, and the next day had the clearest blue skies ever. Daytime temperatures remained below freezing and the snow froze and lasted about a week. There was a ferocious blizzard on March 21st 2000, which saw 20cm by the next morning and even deeper drifts. School wasn't cancelled on the day but we had great difficulty getting home.

2001 to 2003 were a bit disappointing, but the last winter picked up where 2000-01 left off, and I hope this one will continue that with some nice deep snow.

Edited November 11, 2004 by jackfrost

[i luv snow]

lucky you jackfrost!! hehe

Edited November 11, 2004 by i luv snow

[Convection currents]

Indeed he is, as i can barely remember such snowfall over here...