Snowfall Oct 1968: London/surrey

[acbrixton]

I have a recollection of a decent and (in recent years unprecedentedly early) snowfall in October 1968 (I was 8 at the time and cannot recall the dates). I do recall being driven in a blinding snowstorm along the Great West Road to the old Beechams Clinic and that the snow lay hard on the ground the next day at school in Chertsey Surrey. Any recollections/dates/data please?

regards

ACB

[Hurricane Andrew]

Welli dont now about the Snowfall in Oct 1968 London/Surry becasue i was not born then

[Thundery wintry showers]

It won't have been October 1968- that was one of the mildest Octobers on record, with particular emphasis on warm nights.

If you're sure it was in October, then 1966 and (more likely) 1974 are the nearest I can offer in terms of Octobers that had snow in the south.

[summer blizzard]

Are you sure that it was not early November 1968???

November 1968 as whole actually looks fairly snowy.

[Vicky Seal]

Definitely significant and unexpected snow west of London late 1968, across what's now the London Borough of Hillingdon  I believe it was October, because that's when I usually put my three tortoises into hibernation. My favourite was missing and as a 12-year-old I was half crazed. I was out there searching for what seemed like hours, and finally found Timmy snowed in under a hedge where it was dry. He hadn't dug himself in at all (too many roots, I guess) and there was a concrete step behind the hedge so he would have frozen if I'd left him there.

Yes, it was a memorable winter.