February 1994

[Summer of 95]

Anyone have any memories of this month, which although nothing like, 63, 79, or Jan 87, I nevertheless remember as one of the snowiest months of the 90s here?

The month started where the January had left off, mild and changeable, generally boring. Then on Valentine's Day (a Monday) I remember a proper cold easterly appearing out of nowhere. The day was biting cold, below freezing with a strong wind. Around 4pm it started to snow heavily, and settled straight away. As we were leaving school everyone was shrieking with delight, as we had all forgotten what it was like- snow had not settled in Shrewsbury for 3 years, save for a dusting the previous November which was not enough to count as proper snow really. Cue snowballs flying everywhere.

This snow continued all evening, left about 3" (7.5cm). Nothing spectacular in that, but it was so long since it had last happened it might as well have been 3'. Next day you couldn't move for snowballs.

On the Thursday-Friday this snow melted, and the weekend was cold but not cold enough. Next week was halfterm week, and on Tuesday (I think, might have been Monday) it started to snow again about 2pm. Once again it settled instantly.It came down heavily for several hours, and dumped around 5" (12.5cm- this was the last time we had a double-figure fall here in cms. In December 1995 one day had 15cms lying but that came from two separate falls.) Had it not been halfterm this would have closed schools- the 3" fall in March 1995 and 2" in Feb 1996 did.

The forecast that evening I recall well too- it showed the situation across the country, and said that it was 0C in Birmingham(?), and 10C in Bristol(?) which I thought was an amazing contrast. Was a Channel Low that had got further north than usual, pushing the warm sector into the south and giving us what they normally get from these lows.. As the wind was easterly the Welsh mountains didn't take all the snow from us either. This snow stuck through till the end of the week, then the last few days turned mild again.

What was notable about this month is that it came after several weeks of unusually mild weather, just like last Feb's easterly did. However the Valentine's Day 94 one was more than 5C colder, and the snow did not hesitate to setttle. And in both 1994 falls, the snow didn't melt in the day, despite the second one being the same time of year as last Feb's sleet/wet snow/melted in 2 hours stuff..

[Weather-history]

Here's the article I wrote about Feb '94

The first third of February 1994 was unsettled with low pressures moving across the UK. A deep depression on the 3rd brought snowfalls to parts of the north before the milder air arrived but the more significant snowfalls came in the middle third of February as high pressure over Scandinavia began to intensify bringing a cold easterly flow to the UK on the 12th. There were snow flurries in the wind by the 13th and an unexpected heavier snowfall to the south on the 14th. It was bitterly cold in the strong wind with high windchill and subzero maxima. On the 15th, a trough moved northwards bringing snowfalls to England and Wales and less cold weather to the south but the very cold weather held firm in the north and this pushed southwards over the next couple of days. The Atlantic tried to push milder weather northwards on the 22nd and 23rd bringing snowfalls to many central parts with depths of level snow approaching several cms but it wasn't until the 25th that a more vigorous low finally pushed the mild weather to most parts except the far north of Scotland where there were further snowfalls.

http://www.theweatheroutlook.com/datkbarch.asp?id=1109

[Weather-history]

What I remember about it was John Kettley on Countryfile predicting the milder weather to flood in during late Tuesday indeed Rob McElwee said the milder air was coming during the Monday broadcasts. However it never really happened although the Thursday was milder than recently. John Kettley did the following Countryfile forecast and made the comment of the milder air didn't really succeeded but he said he was more confident that it would happen this time. Infact it didn't really happen to late Friday before the milder air reached most of England and Wales.

We got a reasonable snowfall late 22nd and into 23rd February. It started at about 10pm and snowed more or less non stop until 4pm when it just stopped all of a sudden. I woke up Wednesday morning expecting to see the snow thawing away but was pleasantly surprised to see a reasonable covering of about 4" with small drifts. I remembered clearing the driveway of snow.

Edited August 12, 2005 by Mr_Data

[Summer of 95]

What I remember about it was John Kettley on Countryfile predicting the milder weather to flood in during late Tuesday indeed Rob McElwee said the milder air was coming during the Monday broadcasts. However it never really happened although the Thursday was milder than recently. John Kettley did the following Countryfile forecast and made the comment of the milder air didn't really succeeded but he said he was more confident that it would happen this time. Infact it didn't really happen to late Friday before the milder air reached most of England and Wales.

We got a reasonable snowfall late 22nd and into  23rd February. It started at about 10pm and snowed more or less non stop until 4pm when it just stopped all of a sudden. I woke up Wednesday morning expecting to see the snow thawing away but was pleasantly surprised to see a reasonable covering of about 4" with small drifts. I remembered clearing the driveway of snow.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The second snowfall was the Tuesday then. Thanks

Just popped over to Wetterzentrale to look at the charts, what I see is a massive Atlantic low, an equally intense Greenland High, fairly meaty Scandi one and what looks like a secondary low forming off the big one (that was the "Channel Low" then).

[Thundery wintry showers]

February 1994 wasn't a snowy month everywhere, but it sounds like it was in Shrewsbury, and it certainly was in the North East.

In the South Shields/Sunderland area, there were some east-coast snowfalls on the 15th, although these did not amount to much and melted in the sun during the afternoon. The main snow event occurred on the 16th, with several hours of snow producing significant accumulations, but these thawed in the sun during the 17th. So far, nothing remarkable, and nothing more than February 2005 produced.

The month's main events happened between the 20th and 22nd. Snow showers came in off the North Sea during the 20th, and on the 21st there was a mix of sun and snow showers and significant accumulations. This time it was markedly colder than in February 2005, with maxima around 0-2C and minima around -3 to -6C, and the snow lasted on the ground all day. According to Trevor Harley there was thunder in the region too with lightning damage in Newcastle, although I don't remember it. The 22nd was dry, cold and sunny with about 3-4 inches of snow.

After a dry cloudy day on the 23rd with continued lying snow, a thaw then occurred on the 24th in association with mild air pushing in from the Atlantic.

Durham reported 9 days of lying snow, suggesting that further inland, there may have been a lot more snow from the midmonth events.

[M'Lady]

We had lying snow in Liverpool in late Feb 94.

I had just passed my driving test and got a car... but was having trouble driving in the snow!

The snow in Feb 96 was heavier though.

[londonsnow]

We had lying snow in Liverpool in late Feb 94.

I had just passed my driving test and got a car... but was having trouble driving in the snow!

The snow in Feb 96 was heavier though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i thought parker did the driving dear lady p. LS

[Rollo]

i thought parker did the driving dear lady p. LS

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hello to you both Lady P and LS,I miss those 3 way conversations we had last year.

[londonsnow]

Hello to you both Lady P and LS,I miss those 3 way conversations we had last year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hi graupel, yes its a shame slow watch died a death. i have stopped go on pretty much completely. farkin still spouts antagonishing tosh over there but there hardly anyone to listen to him. god forbid he tries getting on NW. he would be roasted. anyway, am off to cornwall tomorrow. have a good evening. cheers LS

[M'Lady]

Hello to you both Lady P and LS,I miss those 3 way conversations we had last year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hello to you my minion and dearest londonsnow...

Is it Sunday afternoon?!

LS... parker does indeed do the driving, but that was in my independent days!

Rollo... which grand-daughter is that in your avatar>

On topicness... I think it snowed around the 23rd??!

[londonsnow]

Feb 92 was much more memorable in London. 6 inches of powder in covent garden, frequent snow showers on a bitter NE flow. marvellous.

those sunday afternoons were fun werent they. LS

[Terminal Moraine]

I've just had a look at my own records in response to this thread.

We had 7 'freezing days' during the month, the first on the 13th. The coldest day was the 14th with a max' of -2.5c and a 25 mph E wind.

Almost 9cm of snow fell on the 15th with drifting in the fresh E/NE wind.

The heaviest snowfall of the month was on the 23rd when there was just over 20cm and a max' temp' of -1.2c.

Milder weather returned on the 25th and 50% of the snow cover was lost by late afternoon on the 27th.

I'd be quite happy with a repeat of that!

T.M

[Summer of 95]

Feb 92 was much more memorable in London. 6 inches of powder in covent garden, frequent snow showers on a bitter NE flow. marvellous.

those sunday afternoons were fun werent they. LS

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Feb 91 is perhaps what you're thinking of

Feb 92 was practically snowless across most of England, as was that whole 1991-2 winter.

[Rollo]

Feb 91 is perhaps what you're thinking of  :unsure:

Feb 92 was practically snowless across most of England, as was that whole 1991-2 winter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I also think it was feb 91', a very large high developed in late January over the gulf of Bothnia and affected the British Isles for the majority of february,I recall on the 4th of feb (a friday) that I was due to drive to Bristol but with all the chaos caused by snow that day I did not even bother.

[J10]

Feb 94 shows what can happen in a breakdown of cold weather, if the mild weather pushes in from the SW hitting the cold air as it does so, and creating the potential for snow as the cold air hits the milder air.

In recent years, the High Pressures have at times toppled and the milder air tends to push in from a NW direction, and it usually tends to turn less cold before any rain bands push in from the Atlantic, so less battleground situations.

[Thundery wintry showers]

The recollections of Feb '92 are definitely Feb '91, which for many south-eastern areas was the last prolonged cold snowy spell, and produced the last fall in coastal Tyne and Wear to significantly exceed 10cm. Having said that, the 8-10cm or so of snow around 21-23 February 1994 was certainly one of the region's biggest snowfalls since then.

Strangely, in parts of the north and west February 1994 was actually snowier than February 1991, due mainly to frontal events on the 16th and more especially between the 22nd and 25th as Atlantic fronts stalled against the cold air. Even Lancaster reported a couple of inches on the ground. It would also appear to have been an extremely snowy month in north-east Scotland where it was also dull and wet overall.

[summer blizzard]

I remember that on 31st December 2003, a warm front approached from the west and collided with cold air producing blizzards in the north east of England, this event gave me around four inches in around six hours, the snowflakes were massive.

[reef]

This occasion was probably as good as it gets when milder air approaches from the NW. The drop in temps during early evening would have assisted the PPN turning to snow.

Unfortunately not everywhere though. All we got was rain and sleet from that occasion here, it was just another marginal event. I couldnt believe it when it fell as rain, especially as we had just had such a cold day the day before.

[Summer of 95]

Unfortunately not everywhere though. All we got was rain and sleet from that occasion here, it was just another marginal event. I couldnt believe it when it fell as rain, especially as we had just had such a cold day the day before.

Exactly my memories of New Years Eve 2003. The day had barely risen above freezing (closest we've come to an ice day since the last actual one in Jan 2002), we had been warned of snow, and what did we get? Hours of pouring rain

[Thundery wintry showers]

In the coastal area of South Tyneside, sleet and wet snow fell for several hours but did not generally settle.

Some students who had stayed over at Lancaster University reported about an inch of snow there, which hung around for about half an hour and then swiftly melted.

The only good example I recall while I was in Lancaster was 31 January 2003. Fronts brought milder air in from the NW, but an inch of snow stuck around for a couple of hours from the leading front.

Maybe the last really significant widespread snow event from a frontal battleground may have been back on 5-7 February 1996...

[Summer of 95]

In the coastal area of South Tyneside, sleet and wet snow fell for several hours but did not generally settle.

Some students who had stayed over at Lancaster University reported about an inch of snow there, which hung around for about half an hour and then swiftly melted.

The only good example I recall while I was in Lancaster was 31 January 2003.  Fronts brought milder air in from the NW, but an inch of snow stuck around for a couple of hours from the leading front.

Maybe the last really significant widespread snow event from a frontal battleground may have been back on 5-7 February 1996...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I remember a couple in March 2001.

[M'Lady]

I think Feb 1996 was the year there was a 'blizzard' in Liverpool.

I remember getting snowed in at work. (Only on the other side of the city). That was fun!

Edited August 15, 2005 by Lady Penelope

[Thundery wintry showers]

21 March 2001 featured one such clearance- I don't remember it very well because my neck of the woods saw the snow fail to settle (mainly because of being on the east coast and having a strong E wind), but to be fair some places definitely got some.

[Summer of 95]

21 March 2001 featured one such clearance- I don't remember it very well because my neck of the woods saw the snow fail to settle (mainly because of being on the east coast and having a strong E wind), but to be fair some places definitely got some.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting, I was at university in Newcastle then and it certainly settled where I was living, in the west of the city (Fenham). That's why March 2001 sprang to mind.

[Thundery wintry showers]

I think it must have been one of those "wet sleety stuff on the coast, snow inland" scenarios then. There was one just three days beforehand as well, with the morning of 18 March 2001 revealing no lying snow at my location, yet out of the front (west-facing) window, I could see a good deal of lying snow within about five miles. It happens quite often when winds are easterly, with lying snow at Newcastle and Gateshead and nothing at the coast.

Having said that, I remember March 2001 as a snowy month (as revealed by my posts in the lying snow in March thread), because the coastal strip had much heavy snowfall around the 1st/2nd, producing 8cm which then stuck around for a few days.