Weather Log February 1947.

[Rollo]

With thanks to "weather magazine" the following is their report of that now famous/infamous month.

The winter of 1947 became one of the harshest experienced in the British Isles, although there was little hint of severe weather until after mid January. February, however was exceptionally cold with heavy snowfalls. It was the coldestFebruary of the century in most districts, and at the Radcliffe meteorological station, Oxford, the mean temperature was the lowest for any month, in a record going back to 1815. It was the persistently low maxima that created the records; the mean minima was not so exceptional as cloud cover was extensive for most of the month. From the 11th to the 23rd the temperature was continuously below 0c over most of England, and this spell lasted from the evening og the 10th to the morning of the 26th at Oxford. There was no sunshine in most districts for most of this period- none at all at Kew from the 2nd to the 22nd inclusive,for example. However, a brief clearer spell after this saw temperatures plummet; -21c was recorded at Woburn early on the 25th.

Another notable feature of the month was the complete lack of rain in parts of Western Scotland. The notoriously wet stations Glenquoich, Glencoe and Ardgour had not a single fall throughout the month,a previously unknown event. Heather fires were reported in places. It was also a sunny month in north-west Scotland. The variation from the rest of the country was due to the total predominance of easterly winds and high pressure not far to the north of Britain. Most of the depressions were steered south-eastwards to the south of the country, and gave occasional severe snowstorms to most central and eastern districts. Although there were some short-lived thaws in the extreme south, snow lay on the ground thoughout the month over much of the country. A foot or more of level snow lay in parts of Durham,Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the east Midlands by the 5th, with little change thereafter. All transport was disrupted, and trains were stuck in deep snow-drifts for many hours in the more isolated parts of northern England. There were gales on several days.

Even worse was to come in many regions in March( I shall put that report on this thread in due course).

[Norrance]

February through to March 1947 must have been an incredible though harsh spell to have lived through, with rationing still in force and no central heating. For snow depths throughout the period the data collated by George Booth attached is very informative. It does show western parts were very dry in the North but not so further East

http://www.winter1947.co.uk/

[blitzen]

Nice read Rollo. Below are a couple of photos from that winter which display how bad things were.

[Coast]

Below are a couple of photos from that winter which display how bad things were.

Interesting stuff Rollo, a few pics from me too -

[Weather-history]

.

Another notable feature of the month was the complete lack of rain in parts of Western Scotland. The notoriously wet stations Glenquoich, Glencoe and Ardgour had not a single fall throughout the month,a previously unknown event. Heather fires were reported in places. It was also a sunny month in north-west Scotland.

Compare Glenquoich with January 1916, the mildest January in the CET listings: a whopping 743mm!!

Here's some Times articles that I posted

http://www.netweather.tv/forum/index.php?s...33821&st=17

Edited January 22, 2008 by Mr_Data

[blitzen]

Wonderful pictures Coast. I wonder if we will ever see the likes again! Slightly before my time, but I love listening to and reading the stories of that memorable winter.

[Coast]

Actually researching around the web it has surprised me how extreme an event the February / March 1947 event was. Many stories of digging people out of drifts after days trapped in cars, trains or buildings, but its the pictures that demonstrate what a major snow and extreme cold event this was to me.

The A56:

The Cotswolds:

Whippingham Road, Brighton:

Plymouth Hoe!

Rochester, Kent

The Rainham to Maidstone Rd:

Perthshire:

Edited January 22, 2008 by Coast

[donna-m]

Amazing photo's

if only...

though the chao's it would cause nowadays

[Polar Continental]

Thanks Rollo for re-printing that report, a good read. Also great to see those photos from 1947 during these snow starved times.

Paul

[Rollo]

Thanks Rollo for re-printing that report, a good read. Also great to see those photos from 1947 during these snow starved times.

Paul

Hi PC, yes its some time that I put the report on this thread,I just thought it was time to do it again bearing in mind how snow

starved we all are.

Many thanks for the photos guys.

[Snowly does it]

February through to March 1947 must have been an incredible though harsh spell to have lived through, with rationing still in force and no central heating.

Yes, its hard to believe in the comfortable modern age we live in - meteorologically and socially/technologically that the fledgling welfare state was being geared up to put the country on starvation rationing. The country was, literally, at a standstill and on the point of collapse.