Coldest Uk Winter Since 1978/79 Ukmo Have Just Announced!

[Thundery wintry showers]

Anyway it seems Suffolk, or the area round Lowestoft had, ‘a very average winter’.

John London doesn't have a case regarding temperature- but surprisingly, he does regarding snow amounts. In the respective Weather Logs, Lowestoft is given as reporting 1 day with >50% snow cover in December, and 6 days in January. I can only guess that the Lowestoft area must have missed out on a lot of the showers and been warmed too much by the sea at critical moments, because it's well under half what Norwich has had.

However Lowestoft is a very isolated case- out of 15 stations that reported the number of days of snow lying in January (inclusive of a couple of south coast sites!), only Aldegrove in Northern Ireland reported less than six such days. Thus insisting that it was a "very average winter" other than referring to his specific area, is somewhat OTT.

[Typhoon John]

Temperature/precipitation stats will come in for Cleadon shortly, but for now, I can confirm that sleet/snow fell on 36 days during the winter quarter, and lay with >50% cover on 27 mornings. These totals are likely to be the highest since 1985/86, but that's only because February 1986 was relatively snowy near the east coast. Otherwise, it comfortably beats anything since 1978/79. The 27 mornings with snow lying is more than twice the amount in any other winter from 1992/93 onwards.

Because of the light nature of the snowfalls of February 1986, it's pretty safe to say that in Cleadon it has been the most remarkable winter for snow since 1979, bearing in mind the 10-inch snow cover on 9th January and 6 inches on 30 January.

In Norwich the respective figures are 35 days of sleet/snow falling and 22 mornings with >50% snow cover.

It's been a cracking winter in the North East, perhaps not the greatest amount of snow I've ever seen from one fall but overall some impressive amounts. We had over 26cm of level snow here for around a week at the peak. Admittedly depth was probably greater in Feb 1991 but considering the length of cover from mid December until late Jan it's been impressive. Throw in the calm days with -15 mins and a frozen, snow covered, River Wear in Durham and there's not much more we could have asked for. I guess all that was lacking was one massive snowstorm, a 10 inches in one go type event.

[snowray]

John London doesn't have a case regarding temperature- but surprisingly, he does regarding snow amounts. In the respective Weather Logs, Lowestoft is given as reporting 1 day with >50% snow cover in December, and 6 days in January. I can only guess that the Lowestoft area must have missed out on a lot of the showers and been warmed too much by the sea at critical moments, because it's well under half what Norwich has had.

However Lowestoft is a very isolated case- out of 15 stations that reported the number of days of snow lying in January (inclusive of a couple of south coast sites!), only Aldegrove in Northern Ireland reported less than six such days. Thus insisting that it was a "very average winter" other than referring to his specific area, is somewhat OTT.

To be fair he did say pretty amazing apart from where he lived, just that most people didn't know where that was. Also lying snow days may just indicate a dusting, which is all I had here since 10th January from one shower out of the heavy East Kent snow in early February. And in December I did get an inch or 2 of snow, but it was mainly ice that was left lying due to melt and then freezing temps for a few days, pretty dangerous conditions in fact. For many parts of the UK though it has been amazing, but I did far, far better IMBY on 2nd Feb 09 for snowfall with 7 or so inches.

Edited March 2, 2010 by snowray

[Terminal Moraine]

I have no stats for anywhere else but do have daily details for here and Finningley and this winter has in one stat exceeded that of 1962-63.

That is days without breaching 10.0C

1962 was 13.6C on 15 December and then 12.0C on 6 March=total of 80 days

2009-2010 has, so far, had a run of 82 days

10.3C on 9 December to now with no 10.0C yet reached.

Stats are so much fun-I would hardly rate this winter to 1962-63 but there we are, in one respect its easily beaten such a cold winter as 1962-1963.

I've just looked back through my records regarding this statistic and we're currently on 97 days without 10c being reached.

The record is 136 days in 1995/96 followed by 129 days in 1976/77, 120 days in 2005/06 and 117 days in 1969/70.

Unfortunately my records began at the end of 1963 so I don't have data for that memorable winter.

[Weather-history]

March 1963 was not really cold, so for Scotland if March 2010 is really cold it could surpass the December 1962-March 1963 period for coldness

Edited March 2, 2010 by Mr_Data

[NorthantsSnow]

In summary, 2009/10 will go down as a cold but not especially snowy winter in Northampton. Locally, December was the coldest since 1995 and January the coldest since 1987. Snow depth did not once exceed 2 inches / 5cm from any one event but snow did lay on the ground for over 20 days.

Once the February data is released I will provide more detail.

Edited March 2, 2010 by NorthantsSnow

[ScottSnow]

I've just looked back through my records regarding this statistic and we're currently on 97 days without 10c being reached.

The record is 136 days in 1995/96 followed by 129 days in 1976/77, 120 days in 2005/06 and 117 days in 1969/70.

Unfortunately my records began at the end of 1963 so I don't have data for that memorable winter.

I can remember when the temp was 12C in I think March 96 and it felt really warm after the continual cold / cool weather of that winter.

Wish I was skiing in the Pennines today... reported as being one of the best days ever !!!

http://csc.tayloredtechnology.com/ski/current.aspx

Certainly a hell of a lot of snow up there and looks like it may continue into April. In Scotland avalanche danger is being reported at fairly low altitude i.e below 2000ft and is again proof of the continual low temps and massive snowfalls this year.

And a link to show the alpine conditions at Weardale in Co.Durham,

http://www.skiweardale.com/ski/current.aspx

You wouldn't think it was England.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Snow White

[The PIT]

We haven't had double figures since the 5th December so 86 days so far. We've only had 8 days since December above the average Max and even then not much above. 50 days below in Jan Feb and 25 in December. Below average mins which had been the curse of recent winters by there absence we come in at 69 days for the winter.

There hasn't been any real severe cold or much in the way of heavy snow.

So now we're watching to see if spring will also come in on the cool side. So far a good start.

[johnholmes]

I can remember when the temp was 12C in I think March 96 and it felt really warm after the continual cold / cool weather of that winter.

Wish I was skiing in the Pennines today... reported as being one of the best days ever !!!

http://csc.tayloredt...ki/current.aspx

Certainly a hell of a lot of snow up there and looks like it may continue into April. In Scotland avalanche danger is being reported at fairly low altitude i.e below 2000ft and is again proof of the continual low temps and massive snowfalls this year.

And a link to show the alpine conditions at Weardale in Co.Durham,

http://www.skiwearda...ki/current.aspx

You wouldn't think it was England.

indeed not-not that often I would think it looks like that in early March.

It reminds me of the days-60's-70's when I used to trek from south of Manchester to Edale to use the old tow there or to above Bollington in Cheshire where a farmer kindly allowed us to ski down through 4 fields with his gates left partly open for our use. Great 1.5 mile run but it seemed to take forever to walk back in in ski boots, old leather type with old wooden skis!

ah those were the days.

[ScottSnow]

indeed not-not that often I would think it looks like that in early March.

It reminds me of the days-60's-70's when I used to trek from south of Manchester to Edale to use the old tow there or to above Bollington in Cheshire where a farmer kindly allowed us to ski down through 4 fields with his gates left partly open for our use. Great 1.5 mile run but it seemed to take forever to walk back in in ski boots, old leather type with old wooden skis!

ah those were the days.

Last season wasn't bad and in general there will maybe be at least one week a season when the conditions are really good. This season however theres been excellent conditions since mid December, I skied Yad Moss on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and again in early Jan and the conditions were brilliant particularly in January. I'm going up again on Thursday so I'm hoping the weathers like its been today.

In Scotland they have been using explosives for controlled avalanches today. As a lot of the snow from the past month hasn't consolidated due to the low temps the avalanche risk has been extremely high even to fairly low levels. Some roads and railway lines have been affected by avalanches.

I wasn't alive in 1979 but I believe snowvover on the hills and mountains of Northern Britain is probably on par with that winter. I skied in Scotland last week and it was the best snowcover I've experienced in my years of going up there (since 1991)and that was before the 1.5m + snowfall on Wed, Thurs and Fri.

Notably although I was in the Highlands when there was that huge snowfall of 3ft in Aviemore the worst driving conditions were on the way home over the Cheviots and Pennines on Friday night.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Snow White

[guitarnutter]

In terms of average max temp it was the 13th coldest since 1878!

[mountain shadow]

Amazed that this winter has been the coldest since 62/63 in Northern Ireland. Whilst it was clearly a cold one the lack of snowfall has probably made it appear less severe than it probably was.

The synoptics of a persistent easterly or north easterly does not produce for County Down with the precipitation dying out across Scotland and England.

Another feature for me was how the marginal situations did not deliver, with sleet predominant.

Still a few surprise snowfalls made up for it.

[NorthantsSnow]

Amazed that this winter has been the coldest since 62/63 in Northern Ireland. Whilst it was clearly a cold one the lack of snowfall has probably made it appear less severe than it probably was.

The synoptics of a persistent easterly or north easterly does not produce for County Down with the precipitation dying out across Scotland and England.

Another feature for me was how the marginal situations did not deliver, with sleet predominant.

Still a few surprise snowfalls made up for it.

We didn't really have a proper easterly blast all winter though did we except mid December but that wasn't quite a classic.

[damianslaw]

A truely historic winter for Scotland then, nearly beating 62/63 is quite remarkable and the cold continues...

For England and Wales though the coldest since 78/79 I won't be classing it as a classic just memorable. There has been a lot of benign weather with few heavy snowstorms or exceptionally low temps, apart from the first 10 days of Jan.

Here in the Lake District it has been a rather special winter, not in terms of amounts of snowfall, which apart from the 20/21st Dec where much of the area caught nearly a foot of snow, most falls brought between 1 and 3 inches only, but in terms of beautiful sunny dry frosty conditions with continuous snow on the hills its been a cracker. The dryness of this winter has been very notable, after the horrendous floods of Nov 09 it has been a real blessing. Rydal Water and Grasmere have been frozen more or less since late dec, only now has the ice finally thawed.

Conditions over christmas and first half of Jan were superb for winter walking and in general Feb has been excellent. This weekend is looking another cracker with high pressure and no significant thaw. Every weekend I have been thinking better make the most of this one, the snow could be gone next week, but that has never happened.

I have five great memories of this winter:

21st Dec - Heavy snow all evening, after previous 6 inch fall on the 20th we saw another 4 inches giving a total nearing a foot, the most since the infamous snow event of 5/6 Feb 96, though far off the 18 inches we saw then.

Christmas Day - the best in my lifetime (I'm only 31), it was an ice day with blue sky all day and then some light snow in the evening and therefore an official white christmas

3-9 Jan 144 hours of continuously below freezing weather, not bettered since late dec 95

9 Jan - walking near a completely frozen Derwent Water under powder snow and blue skies

30 Jan - fantastic visibility under arctic air, walking on Black Combe and seeing Snowdonia.

Stats - 12 ice days

Only 24 days of snow falling and mornings with snow cover (we missed out in late Jan, and largely during Feb).

Minimum temp -12 degrees, nothing special but noteworthy

No day above 9 degrees since the 10th Dec and counting..

Can we have a winter like 09/10 every year please.

Edited March 2, 2010 by damianslaw

[Norrance]

Last season wasn't bad and in general there will maybe be at least one week a season when the conditions are really good. This season however theres been excellent conditions since mid December, I skied Yad Moss on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and again in early Jan and the conditions were brilliant particularly in January. I'm going up again on Thursday so I'm hoping the weathers like its been today.

In Scotland they have been using explosives for controlled avalanches today. As a lot of the snow from the past month hasn't consolidated due to the low temps the avalanche risk has been extremely high even to fairly low levels. Some roads and railway lines have been affected by avalanches.

I wasn't alive in 1979 but I believe snowvover on the hills and mountains of Northern Britain is probably on par with that winter. I skied in Scotland last week and it was the best snowcover I've experienced in my years of going up there (since 1991)and that was before the 1.5m + snowfall on Wed, Thurs and Fri.

Notably although I was in the Highlands when there was that huge snowfall of 3ft in Aviemore the worst driving conditions were on the way home over the Cheviots and Pennines on Friday night.

The snow cover on the mountains this year is far greater than that of 1979. Though 1979 was just about as cold overall and actually colder in Jan and Feb there were few heavy snowfalls perhaps due to the proximity of high pressure. Snow cover lasted for 70 days plus in the valleys but total depths were never that great. 1978 actually having greater depths than 79.

[Dec 1978] was a good bit milder than Dec2009

Edit. My post refers to the Scottish mountains. I guess that the Pennines for example were possibly snowier in 1979.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Norrance

[Jamie.]

11 December - 01 March it was below 10C here.

And between 15 December - 15 January (minus Christmas/Boxing Day) it was below 5C.

Quite astonishing indeed!

Definitely been a great winter.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Jamie.ed