Memorable Uk Snowfalls

[Zerouali lives]

Winter 1950/51

This was probably the worst winter of the 20th century on Britain's more upland areas. At Braemar there was snow cover on 103 mornings, many more than the notorious winter of 1947 . pM air was frequent during the winter with rain, sleet and wet snow common at lower levels, but with a high lapse-rate only snow occured on the higher ground. Depressions which passed over or near the UK moved very quickly so that the warm-sector air did not have enough time to thaw lying snow before colder air and more snow arrived. Cross Fell was not clear of snow until the 10th of July!

More soon.

Edited November 30, 2005 by Zerouali lives

[Zerouali lives]

16th February 1929

A small track on the South-East fringe of Dartmoor to the west of Holne Chase had an incredible 6 feet of snow in 15 hours without any drifting .Yes it's true! Like a cloudburst of snow - eyewitnesses describe it as coming down as if it were 'shovelled'. This was probably the deepest fall of snow ever measured in a single day's storm in the British Isles at as low an elevation 300m.

Edited November 30, 2005 by Zerouali lives

[andy_leics22]

On the subject of snow does anyone remember the dumping wales and the midlands got in december 2000? or is it just me I remember we had 4 inches overnight and then we had high pressure for about 5 days which led to night time temps of about -10 and the snow staying for about a week Did this affect any other areas?

[TEITS]

On the subject of snow does anyone remember the dumping wales and the midlands got in december 2000? or is it just me I remember we had 4 inches overnight and then we had high pressure for about 5 days which led to night time temps of about -10 and the snow staying for about a week Did this affect any other areas?

You mean this then

27th Dec

28th Dec 2000

29th dec 2000

A very notable cold spell with minima being -15C in places and snowfall being 25cm in places

[andy_leics22]

You mean this then

27th Dec

28th Dec 2000

29th dec 2000

A very notable cold spell with minima being -15C in places and snowfall being 25cm in places

Ahhhhhhhh memories!!!!! Being only 17 that is the best snowfall ive seen and remember us having in the midlands and boy did it stay for a while night time temps of around -10 or under and day time temps of around -2 they were the days Love a repeat of that this winter i really would

Did you see some notable snow from that event TEITS? because i remember it coming from the west and sweeping right across the midlands and going across the east too

Edited December 1, 2005 by andy_leics22

[Thundery wintry showers]

December 2000 illustrated just the sort of 'northerly' setup that is conducive to widespread snow events- a sustained northerly airflow lasting a few days, and producing troughs and a significant polar low. Snow fell and accumulated almost everywhere, with the areas of NE England that missed the polar low generally picking up a fair number of east-coast snow showers.

Two exceptions would appear to have been Hurn (which didn't record any mornings with lying snow) and of course Abingdon.

[Zerouali lives]

1962-63

On December 23rd, cold, polar continental air began to flood Southern England and within days many parts had over 12" of snow from a trough moving south across the UK (26th Dec) with Arctic air replacing the Continental influence. However, it wouldn't be long before an easterly re-established itself with severe blizzards affecting the south brought on by a northward tracking trough from the Channel. Fine, powdery snow created huge drifts in the gale-force wind, isolating many villages and making many roads impassable, especially across Exmoor and Dartmoor.

As January commenced it wasn't snow causing havoc but freezing rain as weather systems started to encroach from the south-west, deperately trying to introduce some milder air which was all in vain as the stronger colder air pushed back the mild conditions bringing heavy snowfalls as the warm fronts retreated. The next fortnight brought only minor snow events before more snow and gales spread across the country on the 19th follwed once more by freezing rain which fell on top of lying snow.

By the end of January Tredegar at the head of the South Wales valley's recorded 40" of snow whilst Sea ice began to form in Whitstable harbour, Kent.

On the 4th of February, a slow moving depression to the west of Ireland dumped 20" of level snow in Belfast. The first 2 weeks of this month actually produced the worst blizzards of the winter, with prolonged outbreaks of snow again cutting off towns and villages in the moors, some for the 10th time since Christmas. In between snow events, there were many examples of fresh snow falling onto dirty, old snow such was the lack of thaw activity throughout the month - it was possible to estimate the number of snowfalls by counting the dirt lines in a snow section!

Unlike 1947 when heavy rains coincided with the thaw, this severe winter ended with a spell of crisp bright sunshine, so there was no serious flooding when heavy rain eventually did arrive on the 6th of March.

Edited December 1, 2005 by Zerouali lives

[Zerouali lives]

February 1978

Towards the end of the first week of the month, pressure started to build across Scandinavia, and as a result, much of Britain became chilled in an easterly polar continental influence. By the 10th, snow showers were widespread except for sheltered north-western areas - both Edinburgh and Durham had reported a foot of snow by the 11th.

But it was into the 2nd half of the month when things began to get serious, particularly in the south-west. On the 15th and 16th heavy snow affected Plymouth and on the 17th, parts of Dorset had received as much as 18" of snow. However, conditions were to worsen as an intense Atlantic depression deepened as it approached the south-west causing a severe blizzard upon landfall. Very cold continental air seperated much warmer air to the south of the low which became very slow moving creating enormous drifts driven on by a gale-force winds. Worst affected areas ranged from the Mendips and Dorset in the East to Dartmoor, Barnstaple and South Wales in the west. Snowfall also extended along the South Downs, Cotswolds and parts of Wiltshire. Surprisingly, Farnham, Swindon and Gloucester had no snow at all from the 'South-West Blizzard'.

'South West Blizzard' Snow Depths :

Upland Devon - > 24"

Exeter, Taunton, Minhead, Dorchester, Bridgend - > 12"

Salisbury, Bristol, Cardiff - > 5"

Edited December 2, 2005 by Zerouali lives

[MP-R]

The end of December 1996 and Christmas 1995. Awesome weather then. Cold, clear and icy days but heavy snowfalls at night. Bliss.

[summer blizzard]

16th February 1929

A small track on the South-East fringe of Dartmoor to the west of Holne Chase had an incredible 6 feet of snow in 15 hours without any drifting .Yes it's true! Like a cloudburst of snow - eyewitnesses describe it as coming down as if it were 'shovelled'. This was probably the deepest fall of snow ever measured in a single day's storm in the British Isles at as low an elevation 300m.

I think that the reason why so much snow fell was because an occluded front associated with the low pressure in the Atlantic confluded with a cold front moving northwest dragging in returning polar continental air, this would of effectively formed a frontal wave over the south west of England.