February 1994

[Summer of 95]

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.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That one on 17th-18th was interesting- I remember it being sleety wet stuff in the city centre, but where I was (only a mile or so out, at about 75m amsl) there was at least an inch lying. A marginal (altitude makes the difference) one I think.

Another memory I have of March 2001 in Newcastle is some absolute blizzards of graupel (I think that's what it was) in the first week, which came off the sea in cumulonimbus. I'd never known anything like that before anywhere, indeed I never saw it again up there and have not here.

[North-Easterly Blast]

February 1994 made the winter of 1993-94 definitely one of the better winters of the 1990s, and also there was some cold zonality in December with snow for some and the month was cold in Scotland and very much a Jan 1984 type setup for them at least. February 1994 actually saw the coldest and snowiest spell of weather for much of the UK between Feb 1991 and the 1995-96 winter. Although actually there were a number of snowy periods snow did not lie on low ground for any length of time. There was a temporary snowfall event for northern England on the 3rd (in a cold zonal flow), and a Scandy High and easterly spell developed around mid-month with frost continuous throughout the day by the 14th / 15th and snow in many areas. It became slightly less cold for a few days before cold easterlies returned again on the 20th and the Scandy High moved to Greenland and a front became stationary over central parts on the 23rd giving a good snowfall there and in northern England. Milder air finally broke through around the 25th and the cold did not continue into March which was a mild month. A repeat of that month would be most welcome and would be a classic compared to what we get and have been getting these days!

The cold spell turned February 1994 into the 3rd coldest February in the last 22 years, and it was below average at 3.2. To get a February (or indeed any other winter month) that is in the low 3s CETwise seems a bit far fetched today by the standards of recent years!

February 1994 CET Trackometer:

1. 6.5

2. 4.8

3. 4.6

4. 5.0

5. 5.1

6. 5.0

7. 5.0

8. 4.8

9. 4.8

10. 4.8

11. 4.7

12. 4.6

13. 4.3

14. 3.9

15. 3.6

16. 3.4

17. 3.3

18. 3.3

19. 3.3

20. 3.2

21. 3.0

22. 2.9

23. 2.7

24. 2.7

25. 2.7

26. 2.9

27. 3.1

28. 3.2 (3.23*C)

Edited February 7, 2008 by North-Easterly Blast

[Stargazer]

I'm guessing the snow was inland only and much deeper in the north than the south. I was living in Southampton at the time, and don't recall February 1994 as being an exceptional month (I suspect we just had cold rain!). The last decent snow I recall there was in February 1991.

[damianslaw]

I was just thinking back to this particular month and i do remember vividly the snowy day on the 23rd, in windermere we got about a foot or so of level snow it was the deepest fall of snow we had had for a long long time, i have only seen it bettered since on one occasion i.e. 6th feb 1996.

[Weather-history]

Unfortunately for some reason, the sound is low on this one so you may need to turn the volume up a bit

[Thundery wintry showers]

I'm guessing that the forecasts covered the period 13th-16th February 1994 judging by the charts. I can see from those forecasts that the models were too progressive in bringing the Atlantic in- the continental high was far more stubborn than John Kettley's forecast suggested and ultimately retrogressed north-westwards after the 19th giving the second snowy episode.

[damianslaw]

Another event I remember well. I think it was half term school holidays and I remember the Tuesday being notably snowy with a biting easterly. The 23rd Feb however delivered a foot of snow but it quickly thawed thanks to mild atlantic air. Feb 94 was a good wintry month.

[MP-R]

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.

Yes there was heavy snow in the southwest the day before, starting around 8am and falling until sundown. There were some quite decent accumulations but these melted very soon the following day. Temperatures were around 0-1C on the 20th and rose to 7-8C the following day.

[Weather-history]

[Terminal Moraine]

February 22nd 1994 was the last time the temperature fell below -6c here in February with a min' of -6.5c. It was followed by 20cm of snow overnight and into the 23rd with 50% snow cover eventually being lost by the middle of the 27th.

I recorded 7 'ice days' between the 13th and 24th and the coldest day was the 14th with a maximum of -2.7c.

Overall quite a notable cold spell.

[Weather-history]

I wonder why John Kettley felt more confident about the milder weather moving in this time in that broadcast than the week before? The milder air didn't reach here until later that Friday.

[damianslaw]

I remember the wednesday preety well waiting for the snow to arrive from the south. It was half term week and I remember the snow arriving early afternoon. I don't remember it bringing deep snow a couple of inches at best - but it was good all in the same in what was a preety snowless period between feb 91 and dec 95, one of the few decent frontal snow events in that period. However, the events a week later brought much more snowfall about a foot of the stuff.

Feb 94 was a decent one for cold and snow, not as good as Feb 96 or 91, but one the best winter months of the 90's.

Interesting to see how the bbc forecasted prediction of the atlantic front on the sunday changed markedly by the time the front arrived- it underplayed the strength of the block. Something to bear in mind when looking at the FAX charts beyond 72 hrs - I see a similiar situation this weekend with the UKMO being too progressive with the front and underplaying the strength of the block - they often do.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Interestingly in the Tyne and Wear/Durham area, February 1994 was snowier overall than February 1996- the frontal snowfalls of the 5th-7th February 1996 struggled to make much headway past the Pennines and the north-easterly blast on the 19th/20th was short lived, and had a surprising thaw near the coast overnight 19th/20th after a snowy 19th. In February 1994 north-eastern districts had a general snow cover from the 21st through to the 25th or 26th, as well as more briefly around the 15th-17th. It certainly wasn't as snowy as February 1991 in those areas though.

[Weather-history]

Evolution of this cold spell

[Weather-history]

[Weather-history]

[Weather-history]

[Weather-history]

A weather battle commences

[Slowpoke]

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.

The Feb snow of '96 was amazing for NW England, was a huuuuge event in Blackpool!

[damianslaw]

Remember the second half of February 1994 being particularly snowy especially the period from around the 14th until about the 26th. We had a couple of inches during the middle of the month thanks to a strong easterly airstream then a temporary milder spell around the 17th-18th as shown in the above forecasts before it turned colder again from the 20th with a very heavy bout of snow I think on the 24th - a foot of the stuff, can't quite remember exact date but I know it was sometime between the 21st-24th. The snow stuck around for a few days before milder conditions arrived at the end of the month.

Winter 93/94 was a decent one for snow on the fells, temperatures were often the right side of marginal to produce heavy snow whilst the valleys saw rain/sleet or simple wet snow which didn't stick around for too long. The second half of December was very snowy in the fells and the christmas period saw snow on low ground. January was the least snowy month but with alot of polar maritime air, the fells saw quite a bit of white stuff.

Compared to the likes of many of the winter between 1994 and 2008 winter 93/94 was a decent one snow-wise.

[Weather-history]

Milder weather arrives