Prolonged Severe Cold Spells Of The Past

[A Winter's Tale]

I Want to find all the long lasting severe cold spells of the past (i.e a Big Freeze). I'd also like to find out details such as: How Long it Lasted, notable snowfalls and events, lowest temperatures, synoptic charts and also experiences from members. It would be great to get a definitive fact file of British and Irish famous cold spells.

I'm Going to start it off with the most recent ones:

December 2010 Big Freeze:

Duration: 17-26 December 2010

Lowest Temperature: -20.8C (Altnaharra) on 23rd December

Notable Snowfalls: NI Snow Showers (18 Dec England Wales Snow (18,20,22 Dec), Lothians Snowfall (19 Dec),

Other: White Christmas

Records: NI Record Low (-18.7C), NI Record Max (-11.3C), Wales Record Max (-7.8C), Worst Cold Spell since 1981, Record Cold December

Month(s) CET: -0.9C

Winter CET: 2.43C (16th Coldest)

November/December 2010 Big Freeze:

Duration: 25 November - 8 December 2010

Lowest Temperature: -21.3C (Altnaharra) on 3rd December

Notable Snowfalls: NE Snow (25 Nov - 2 Dec), Wales Snow (26 Nov), S England Snow (2 Dec) C Scotland Snow (6 Dec)

Records: Worst Earliest Cold Spell since Nov 1965, Wales Record Low (-18C), Wales Record Max (-5.6C), NI Record Max (-1.6C)

Month(s) CET: November (4.3C), December (-0.9C)

Winter CET: 2.43C (16th Coldest)

December 2009/January 2010 Big Freeze:

Duration: 17 December 2009 - 15 January 2010

Lowest Temperature: -22.3C (Altnaharra) on 8th January

Notable Snowfalls: Convective Easterly (18 Dec), N Britain Snow (Dec 20), Jan 5th Event, Low Pressure England and Wales (4, 12 Jan)

Other: White Christmas

Records: Met Office Weather Station Minimums, Worst Cold Spell since 1981

Month(s) CET: December (2.1C), January (0.9C)

Winter CET: 1.64C (7th Coldest)

That's the 3 most recent severe cold spell done. You can add to it with more notable events and records.

Now we've got other severe cold spells to go such as 1947, 1963, 1979, 1981, 1986, 1987 and 1995 aswell as others.

[johnholmes]

I suppose having experienced all of them, 1947 included, then 1947 and 1962-63 are the epic winters, with December 1981 and December 2010 as other contenders, month wise NOT winters though.

Others spring to mind like bits of 1986 and 1987, stuck on a train supposedly on its way to Euston from Holyhead, no snow there, eventually reaching Euston only to discover that almost every train out of all the major London stations stopped operating mid afternoon so I was kind of stuck!

But for winters then 1947 and 1962-63 are the epic ones. There are lots and lots of data on both these, on Net Weather and on the web so I'll not bore you with data.

[A Winter's Tale]

Cold spells would just do fine.

I suppose Febuary 2009 might fall under this category as it almost lasted 2 weeks.

Febuary 2009 Snowfall:

Duration: 1 - 13 Febuary 2009

Lowest Temperature: -18.4C (Aviemore) on 9th February

Notable Snowfalls: Convective Easterly (1-2 Feb), Wales and England Snowfall (2-5 Feb), Frontal Snow (8 Feb)

Records: Worst snowfall in 18 years

Month(s) CET: 3.7C

Winter CET: 3.21C

[Teesdale]

Cold spells would just do fine.

I suppose Febuary 2009 might fall under this category as it almost lasted 2 weeks.

Febuary 2009 Snowfall:

Duration: 1 - 13 Febuary 2009

Lowest Temperature: -18.4C (Aviemore) on 9th February

Notable Snowfalls: Convective Easterly (1-2 Feb), Wales and England Snowfall (2-5 Feb), Frontal Snow (8 Feb)

Records: Worst snowfall in 18 years

Month(s) CET: 3.7C

Winter CET: 3.21C

I remember a Philip Eden article regarding the media phrase 'worst snowfall in 18 years'. Maybe in SE of England but the true bilzzards over S Scotland in Feb 2001 and NW England/SW Scotland in 1996 appear to have been erased from the journalist's mind who came up with the phrase.

[A Winter's Tale]

I remember a Philip Eden article regarding the media phrase 'worst snowfall in 18 years'. Maybe in SE of England but the true bilzzards over S Scotland in Feb 2001 and NW England/SW Scotland in 1996 appear to have been erased from the journalist's mind who came up with the phrase.

Well I used a quote from the "immaculate Met Office".

And yes I've seen far, far worse snowfalls in 2006 and 2001.

[Radiating Dendrite]

Well I used a quote from the "immaculate Met Office".

And yes I've seen far, far worse snowfalls in 2006 and 2001.

It was widely quoted as the "worst snowfall in London in 18 years".

[johnholmes]

December 2010 saw some exceptionally cold and snowy weather across much of the country, with temperatures quite regularly falling to between -10 and -20 °C overnight. Many places also saw temperatures struggling to get above freezing by day.

In the last 100 years, the UK has experienced five colder months - January 1940, February 1947, January 1963, February 1963 and February 1986

from the UK Met O web site

[legritter]

just a quicky from me ,FEB 18TH 1978 , BLIZZARDS ACROSS SW ,and parts of south ,short sharp and certainly disruptive , as i put in recent post very hard for met office to forecast , front came to a grinding stop north of bristol , just a peppering in glos and swindon in parts . also some good snowfalls in 1880 s ,going to finish now as boiling a nice gammon plus need a quick fag , cheers

[reef]

Ive moved this to the relevent forum section.

[AderynCoch]

Get your hands on Great British Weather Disasters by Philip Eden and The Weather Of Britain by the late Robin Stirling. Both have fairly comprehensive lists of cold spells (amongst other things) going back to 1900.

[Norrance]

If you want details of historic Scottish Winters see the book "So foul and fair a day" by Alasdair Dawson. Some cracking facts re cold and snow in there.

[damianslaw]

Whilst very short lived the spell of weather between 26 - 31 Dec 1995 was notable for its severe cold. Altnaharra recorded the lowest temp ever on the 29th at -27.2 degrees sharing the accolade with Braemar 10 Jan 1982 I think it was.

Many parts of Scotland saw 4 successive nights with mins below -10 degrees (27, 28, 29, 30). Glasgow got down to -20 degrees.

Southern England missed out on the severe cold with lows of -5 degrees in Heathrow.

Dec 1995 was a very good month for snow and cold, nowhere near as severe as 1981 or 2010, but good all the same.

[A Winter's Tale]

Whilst very short lived the spell of weather between 26 - 31 Dec 1995 was notable for its severe cold. Altnaharra recorded the lowest temp ever on the 29th at -27.2 degrees sharing the accolade with Braemar 10 Jan 1982 I think it was.

Many parts of Scotland saw 4 successive nights with mins below -10 degrees (27, 28, 29, 30). Glasgow got down to -20 degrees.

Southern England missed out on the severe cold with lows of -5 degrees in Heathrow.

Dec 1995 was a very good month for snow and cold, nowhere near as severe as 1981 or 2010, but good all the same.

What was the snow like during this spell?

[philglossop]

Whilst I'm not going to put December 2010 down, February 1986 was a much snowier month down here. I remember walking to school day after day in near freezing temperatures before the snow finally arrived and closed the school down for a few days. The snow levels were much deeper and lasted longer compared to 2010.

[damianslaw]

What was the snow like during this spell?

N and NE Scotland and especially Shetlands received very heavy snow christmas eve into christms day thanks to a polar low - this weakened quickly as it tracked into the N Sea but managed to deliver some snow for other eastern parts of scotland and england especially near the coast. The cold was courtesy of a very strong greenland/arctic high which ridged way south into the mid atlantic - coldest conditions were reserved for the north and northwest. I think most of the country had a light cover of snow on christmas day. New Years eve saw a widespread freezing rain event as a warm front overrode the cold air from the south. By New Years Day the short severe cold spell was all over, we then endured nearly 3 weeks of mild gloomy conditions, but things turned decidely wintry again by the 21st as cold east winds kicked in.

Edited November 23, 2011 by damianslaw

[sundog]

Cold spell from 30th Dec 1978- 5th Jan 1979,on the morning of Jan 2nd the coldest temp of the 20th Century in Ireland was recorded in County Kildare, a temp of -18.8c.

[damianslaw]

Prior to the period 24 Nov - 26 Dec 10 the last prolonged cold spell of similiar longevity to hit britain was the period roughly 30 Jan - 4 March 86. Very similiar maxima though minima were not as consistently cold for many. Feb 86 however unlike Dec 10 saw wall to wall cold from 1st right through to 28th with no break.

Jan 87 saw a 10 day spell of severe cold colder than an anything we have experienced since in such a timeframe - beating last year and the first 10 days of Jan 10. It was very much an england and wales affair - scotland was less cold on that occasion.

The only 2 long lasting prolonged cold spell of the 90's came in the first half of Feb 91 - and the period roughly 27 Dec - 10 Jan 97 - an often forgotton cold spell as it didn't bring much widespread snowfall.

[johnholmes]

It might be an idea to quantify 'long term cold spells'?

Are they 1 week, 2 weeks, or longer?

There are a few being mentioned that were cold and snowy but less than a week so hardly fit the thread title I feel?

[Radiating Dendrite]

It might be an idea to quantify 'long term cold spells'?

Are they 1 week, 2 weeks, or longer?

There are a few being mentioned that were cold and snowy but less than a week so hardly fit the thread title I feel?

Probably 7-10 days at least.

Anything less is a cold snap?

[johnholmes]

Probably 7-10 days at least.

Anything less is a cold snap?

I would agree that an absolute minimum would be 7 days, and more like in excess of 10.

The 'notable' winters, 47 and 62-63 of course had weeks of severe cold and snow.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

17th-24th Nov 1996, I got loads of snow then, so better areas must have had loads more

[A Winter's Tale]

17th-24th Nov 1996, I got loads of snow then, so better areas must have had loads more

I seem to remember people from the Glasgow area going on about a severe cold spell in November 1996 but I also think some people get confused with December 1995 with November 1996 being seen as the month that had -20C in Glasgow.

Some notable cold spells here:

November & December 2010

December 2009 & January 2010

February 2009

December 2000?

November 1996

December 1995

January 1993

February 1991

January 1987

February 1986

January 1985

December 1981

January & Febuary 1979

February 1969

January & February 1963............................

[damianslaw]

I seem to remember people from the Glasgow area going on about a severe cold spell in November 1996 but I also think some people get confused with December 1995 with November 1996 being seen as the month that had -20C in Glasgow.

Some notable cold spells here:

November & December 2010

December 2009 & January 2010

February 2009

December 2000?

November 1996

December 1995

January 1993

February 1991

January 1987

February 1986

January 1985

December 1981

January & Febuary 1979

February 1969

January & February 1963............................

I remember the cold spell of Nov 1996 quite well living in Newcastle upon Tyne at the time but also taking a trip home to Windermere at the same time. I remember biting cold northeasterlies and squally snow showers hitting me in the fence in Newcastle. It was my first year living there and I remember thinking now I know what they mean about those cold ne winds. In Windermere it snowed and we had a couple of inches covering the ground. Mind it wasn't as cold as the late Nov 93 spell. Still Nov 96 was an interesting month with lots of polar maritime air - and was followed by a cold foggy frosty but dry december ending what had been a very seasonal year overall, 1996 was very similiar to 2010 in many respects.. unlike 2011 which I have to say has been far from seasonal - and will be a year I will gladly be putting back to the cupboard weatherwise - it has been devoid of 'weather' in my book, instantly forgettable despite how mild it has been. I think 2012 will be a much more interesting affair..