YOUR FAVOURITE ARCHIVED SYNOPTIC CHART

[I remember Atlantic 252]

This as it bashed many myths about March

 

 

Epic snow event for the south coast/Channel islands and northern France, produced snow showers across eastern coasts. Possibly the coldest march day I've ever experienced with temperatures in the South east struggling to get above freezing which again is exceptional for March.

 

Snow wise that chart didnt really produce here, north see too cold I think to create showers, best was 22-24th March

[Captain Shortwave]

I know this isn't as good as many, but

 

 

My thermometer hit 32C on this day, hot even on the coast with the wind from the south west. Very rare to get heat even at the coast. This was a great month in the south east, very much different everywhere else.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Captain shortwave

[March Blizzard]

This as it bashed many myths about March

Yep. Coldest March day for 27 years. A great birthday present for me! The wind was biting cold.

[Gaz1985]

This as it bashed many myths about March

Yep. Coldest March day for 27 years. A great birthday present for me! The wind was biting cold.

 

Stood outside waiting ages for my ex-gf that day and don't think I ever felt so cold in my life stood in that wind, not even in December 2010!

[Anvils in the Sky]

Same here, 12th - 14th all stonkers,

 

An unforgettable few days. And just so perfect for the snow-loving teen I was!

[feb1991blizzard]

An unforgettable few days. And just so perfect for the snow-loving teen I was!

 

Yes my headmaster said on the Tuesday (when we already had 5 inches with heavy falling snow) 'don't come in if it was a blizzard', my mom marched me up the school on the Wednesday and the snow was up to my chest, we got there and low and behold, a week and 3 days off school, the whole school heating system knackered, and it was only by bad luck that it was back open on the Monday, nearly 2 weeks later.

[Mark Neal.]

This chart gave us 10cm snow overnight as temperatures dropped away. Unseasonable snowfall for April and the latest i have seen snow in the season in my life.  The snow had all melted by 4pm the same day as temperatures got upto 11c in the clear skies behind the front.

 

Yes my headmaster said on the Tuesday (when we already had 5 inches with heavy falling snow) 'don't come in if it was a blizzard', my mom marched me up the school on the Wednesday and the snow was up to my chest, we got there and low and behold, a week and 3 days off school, the whole school heating system knackered, and it was only by bad luck that it was back open on the Monday, nearly 2 weeks later.

 

We had about 5 days off from January 6th in 2010, mainly due to 30cm on the ground, but this was after having the 2 week xmas break! 

Edited September 9, 2013 by Mark Neal.

[Tom Quintavalle]

An unforgettable few days. And just so perfect for the snow-loving teen I was!

 

Hi Anvil,

 

I have a work colleague who lives in Rainham and he was telling me that during that spell, it was virtually impossible for him to open his back door, the snow was so deep, over 18 inches of level snow but with much deeper drifts.

 

Tom.

[feb1991blizzard]

This chart gave us 10cm snow overnight as temperatures dropped away. Unseasonable snowfall for April and the latest i have seen snow in the season in my life.  The snow had all melted by 4pm the same day as temperatures got upto 11c in the clear skies behind the front.

Rrea00120080406.gif

 

 

We had about 5 days off from January 6th in 2010, mainly due to 30cm on the ground, but this was after having the 2 week xmas break! 

 

 

I remember on that Jan 2010 incident, I was in Salford but knew my mate (who works in Oxford but lives in Birmingham), would not be aware, he just looks at the bbc chart at start of week and doesn't understand how things can change, so I knew I had better phone him,  we already had 6 inches but the cold front was due to dump bigger amounts the further south and phoned him up and warned him not to travel on wed, I told him there is no way he would make it, I even said its a definite which usually I don't be as bold as that, I know he would have travelled and not listened but fortunately he had a text to say shift cancelled, if id have been here then I would have seen ridiculous drifts or if I had been back down there so for me personally not up there with 87 and 91, but still my biggest fall since feb 1996 in the midlands so a f_____ belter none the less.

[Captain Shortwave]

Stood outside waiting ages for my ex-gf that day and don't think I ever felt so cold in my life stood in that wind, not even in December 2010!

Haha I walked down Yarmouth seafront that day, my goodness, It was blowing a severe gale that day too, never felt so cold in my life.

Another chart from this year

 

Brought over 10cm of snow even on the coast and we had a blizzard for over 6 hours. Over half a foot of snow fell inland on this day. Payback for the epic fail two days before which brought light snizzle.

Only issue was after this we didn't see the sun for a full week before the Atlantic returned which frankly was very welcome as I remember going to Norwich and greeted with bright sunny skies and very pleasant temperatures for the time of year.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Captain shortwave

[Tom Quintavalle]

Two thunder-snow events now.

 

28th JAN.2004.

 

 

 

An active cold front arrived from the north in time for the early evening rush hour. Started off as a brief period of cold rain, then rapid changeover to snow and incredible to view, as a wall of snow advanced from the north. Snow soon settled and was accompanied by 4 flashes of pink lightning and booming thunder. Chaos on the roads, soon ensued.

 

2nd FEB.2009.

 

 

 

 

Over 6" of snow from this Thames streamer event and some gun-shot thunder in the early hours of the morning, places slightly further west had around 9", including my work location of Croydon, a substantial fall for that locale.

 

Have posted it before but well worth seeing the lightning/thunder captured on a BBC News24 report again, filmed near Dartford.

 

 

Tom.

Edited September 9, 2013 by TomBR7

[feb1991blizzard]

Two thunder-snow events now.

 

28th JAN.2004.

 

 

 

An active cold front arrived from the north in time for the early evening rush hour. Started off as a brief period of cold rain, then rapid changeover to snow and incredible to view, as a wall of snow advanced from the north. Snow soon settled and was accompanied by 4 flashes of pink lightning and booming thunder. Chaos on the roads, soon ensued.

 

2nd FEB.2009.

 

 

 

 

Over 6" of snow from this Thames streamer event and some gun-shot thunder in the early hours of the morning, places slightly further west had around 9", including my work location of Croydon, a substantial fall for that locale.

 

Have posted it before but well worth seeing the lightning/thunder captured on a BBC News24 report again, filmed near Dartford.

 

 

Tom.

 

That 8th December 1990 chart I posted earlier was my only experience of 'proper' thundersnow, of course I have experienced the spring setups where convection is set off due to strength of sun and snow occurs but 3am on that Saturday morning was a massive loud crack of thunder and a full on blizzard at the same time.

[Anvils in the Sky]

Yes my headmaster said on the Tuesday (when we already had 5 inches with heavy falling snow) 'don't come in if it was a blizzard', my mom marched me up the school on the Wednesday and the snow was up to my chest, we got there and low and behold, a week and 3 days off school, the whole school heating system knackered, and it was only by bad luck that it was back open on the Monday, nearly 2 weeks later.

Our headmaster was the exact opposite! He hated closing the school for any reason. By the Wednesday (or possibly the Tuesday?) we were the only school still open in the Medway Towns! I remember it was morning break time, the snow was coming down in shed loads, and we saw him walking across the car park outside our classroom  - where we were all sitting, stunned the school was still open. Anyway, I still to this day remember one of the mouthy ones yanking the window open, and shouting out to Dr Keen "LET US GO HOME!!" Within an hour we were sent home! (And weren't able to return for over a week.)

 

Hi Anvil,

 

I have a work colleague who lives in Rainham and he was telling me that during that spell, it was virtually impossible for him to open his back door, the snow was so deep, over 18 inches of level snow but with much deeper drifts.

 

Tom.

I can well believe it. Our back door was frozen shut! (I also remember folks queueing - perfectly calmly I hasten to add - at the local corner shop, waiting for a bread delivery to arrive. And the big Sainsbury's a couple of miles away ran out of yeast, because people were making their OWN bread!)

[Tom Quintavalle]

"I can well believe it. Our back door was frozen shut! (I also remember folks queueing - perfectly calmly I hasten to add - at the local corner shop, waiting for a bread delivery to arrive. And the big Sainsbury's a couple of miles away ran out of yeast, because people were making their OWN bread!)"

 

Hi Anvil,

 

Just short of 1 foot of level snow here re. Jan 1987, in the Bromley area. Remember making my way to Bromley South station, one night during that spell, trying to get a train home, to 5 miles or so west of here but to be told nothing was running due to abandoned rolling stock, further into Kent. South-Eastern had tried running diesel "ghost trains", to keep the lines open but they also got into trouble and nothing could get east of the St.Mary Cray/Swanley area.

 

Tom.

Edited September 9, 2013 by TomBR7

[cheese]

August 1995 - when temperatures widely reached the low 30s and above across the UK. Reached 34.4C in Leeds, 34.4C in Hull, 34.3C in Sheffield, 33.9C in Southport, 33.1C in Harrogate, 33.1C in Macclesfield and 32.7C in.. Buxton! And of course reached the dizzy heights of 37.1C in Chelmsford. Short but sweet as they say. Far too hot for me, but a very interesting weather event, especially given the unremarkable 850hPa temperatures. A lot of places absolutely demolished and destroyed their previous records.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2013 by cheese

[Anvils in the Sky]

 

Hi Anvil,

 

Just short of 1 foot of level snow here re. Jan 1987, in the Bromley area. Remember making my way to Bromley South station, one night during that spell, trying to get a train home, to 5 miles or so west of here but to be told nothing was running due to abandoned rolling stock, further into Kent. South-Eastern had tried running diesel "ghost trains", to keep the lines open but they also got into trouble and nothing could get east of the St.Mary Cray/Swanley area.

 

Tom.

The usually hectic Rainham station on the morning of the 12th, as that snowy spell started to get underway:

 

By the way, I've been in that signal box building. (And operated the signals, and the level crossing gates.) Would've been 3 years before that photo was taken. And this is all completely true, I assure. I was on the bridge with my mates one Saturday afternoon in 1984, watching all the trains go by. My friends went home after a while, but I stayed. And the signalman shouted out to me that I could come in and have a look at how it all worked, if I liked. So I did. He let me park my bike - Raleigh Chopper, I think -  in the entrance hall, so that it wouldn't get nicked, and then took me to the signal room. And I loved every minute. (I clearly remember him giving me a can of Coke from the fridge too!)

 

Blimey, that could never happen these days!! Can you imagine?!?

 

Anyway, bed time. Night all. Thanks for the reminiscing.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Anvils in the Sky

[Cheshire Freeze]

All this talk of thundersnow.....I've never witnessed it but would love to. Then again I struggle to see thundery rain so I'm not holding out much hope.

[Tom Quintavalle]

All this talk of thundersnow.....I've never witnessed it but would love to. Then again I struggle to see thundery rain so I'm not holding out much hope.

 

Hi CC,

 

Would've thought you might have witnessed it during a Cheshire Gap streamer? Perhaps you dont quite get the temperature differential between the surface of the Irish Sea and the 850hPa level, as we get here, in the SE, in respect of the Thames Estuary/S.North Sea and bitter PC air moving in from the east. Have experienced thundersnow on a few occasions but mostly in Thames streamer situations.

 

Tom.

Edited September 9, 2013 by TomBR7

[cheese]

All this talk of thundersnow.....I've never witnessed it but would love to. Then again I struggle to see thundery rain so I'm not holding out much hope.

Nor have I. It may have occurred, but I've never seen it myself. Would love to.

[Relativistic]

This as it bashed many myths about March

Epic snow event for the south coast/Channel islands and northern France, produced snow showers across eastern coasts. Possibly the coldest march day I've ever experienced with temperatures in the South east struggling to get above freezing which again is exceptional for March.

Yeah, got a max of 1.6C that day, which for here in March is pretty insane. Snowed a lot that day but didn't accumulate to much as it was on and off. If only the heavy stuff had been falling that much further north then I may have seen the most extraordinary snow event in my life. And it would have been in March.

[Weather-history]

All this talk of thundersnow.....I've never witnessed it but would love to. Then again I struggle to see thundery rain so I'm not holding out much hope.

Saw it for the first time during early February this year.

[Tom Quintavalle]

Another favourite archive chart has to be from Dec.1981.

 

8th DEC.1981.

 

 

After a couple of failed northerlys, finally a rapid rise in pressure over Greenland, allied to a wave depression forming on a cold front sweeping south, over N.Ireland, ushered in the start of that long wintry spell in Dec.81. The small low tracked SE, to exit the CS English coast, during the morning, unleashing bitter Arctic air throughout the UK. 

I was living in an Inner London borough at the time and awoke to heavy rain, which turned to snow, during the morning rush-hour and finally deposited just short of 2 inches, not a wonderful amount but very respectable for my location, at the time, and considering the amount of heavy rain, we had initially. Still remains the best rain>snow event, I've witnessed.

I've included it here more for what it signified in being the catalyst for introducing such a momentous Dec., in terms of longevity for a wintry spell.

 

Tom

Edited September 10, 2013 by TomBR7

[March Blizzard]

Saw it for the first time during early February this year.

Ditto for me!

[Tom Quintavalle]

If I had to choose a non-wintry chart, I suppose it would have to be from Oct.1987, simply for the extreme weather event that's associated with it.

 

OCT.16th 1987.

 

 

I can still  remember being woken up by a ferocious wind slamming against the back of our maisonette and thinking that the windows were going to cave in.

Think I woke the family and brought them downstairs, such was my concern. We'd also lost power by this time, making that early morning view out of the window, seem very eerie, with only car headlights shining through the murk. Went out in the afternoon to survey the damage and couldnt believe what I saw. Many trees had been felled, around the roads, close to where I lived, some landing on cars. Went up to our local park at Crystal Palace (was living in Anerley SE20, at the time) for a walk, I say walk, more like an attempted clamber over an assault course, due to the amount of trees that littered the paths throughout the park. An incredible event to witness and pretty scary, for a while as well.

 

Tom.

[Tom Quintavalle]

Just found this video of storm damage in the Bromley area, after the Oct.1987 storm.

 

 

Tom.