January 1883 ; also a wet/mild month

[Andy Bown]

I have taken the below from one of my local newspapers, named the Warminster Journal, which every week has a fascinating page recounting stories from 125, 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. Very often their are recounts of snow, flooding and thunderstorms.

In this week's section, an article from their issue on Saturday 27 January 1883, it reads...

... The Mildness Of The Season

The mildness of the season and the abundant rain have produced already, in Warminster, an abundant crop of primroses and violets which have been plentiful for several weeks in gardens in the town and neighbourhood. A cross and a wreath were to be seen at the parish churchyard, entirely composed of primroses...

So, it's not a new phenomenon .

Edited January 26, 2008 by Andy Bown

[Weather-history]

There's more to this, February was very mild with a CET of 5.9 but then came March 1883 with a CET of 1.9

The winter of 1882-83 was drawing to a close as February ended on a mild note. It was the second year on the run that winter had been relative mild and so the Victorians of late Feb 1883 thought the worst of winter was behind them.

Indeed the start of March 1883 was tranquil with high pressure lots of sun and pleasant temperatures

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp18830301.gif

However on the 5th, the high pressure pulled into the Atlantic and a potent Arctic airstream pushed southwards bringing low maxima, sharp frosts and snowfalls

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp18830305.gif

This Arctic airstream was a long lived event and lasted until about mid month

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp18830311.gif

After a less cold interlude mid-month, the winds swung into the east and there were further snowfalls, frosts etc.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp18830321.gif

There was then another Arctic northerly towards the end of the month

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp18830325.gif

The weather finally turned milder right at the end of the month as winds swung into the west and southwest.

March 1883 CET: 1.9 February 1883 CET: 5.9

CET Max mean: 5.9

CET Min mean: -2.0

March 1883 was the coldest month between and including February 1881 and January 1886

CET trackometer

1. 7.2

2. 6.0

3. 5.6

4. 5.2

5. 5.2

6. 4.8

7. 4.2

8. 3.5

9. 2.9

10. 2.4

11. 2.2

12. 2.1

13. 2.0

14. 2.0

15. 1.9

16. 1.9

17. 1.9

18. 1.9

19. 1.9

20. 1.9

21. 1.8

22. 1.7

23. 1.7

24. 1.6

25. 1.6

26. 1.6

27. 1.6

28. 1.6

29. 1.7

30. 1.8

31. 1.9

[Andy Bown]

Cool thanks for that Mr Data!