The tendency for frost and snow around November 22nd; a letter by Leo Bonacina

[Weather-history]

Here is a letter by Leo Bonacina, the snowfall cataloguer, written on the 22nd November 1911 on what he believes the tendency for frost and snow around November 22nd

"November is the first month of the depth of winter or of the mid winter season - a period correctly and logically defined by the altitude of the sun between the dates of November 8th and February 8th. But whilst the general meteorological character of this month of raw dismal cold is proverbially foul, the average temperature of the air is in our insult climate higher in November than in any of the four following months. Nevertheless, when a spell of ice and snow does occur in November it is sometimes very severe, as for instance, to quote recent years, that of 1904 all over the kingdom, and that of 1909 in Scotland, where a frost of extreme rigour gave about a week's skating in the middle of the the month more or less all over the country. Apart, however, from such marked occurrences of cold as these, a brief but sharp spell of cold weather more often than not prevails around the 22nd of the month. I suggest that this cold spell of mine is as reliable as any of Buchan's hot or cold periods, which I admit is not saying much for it. This year it hasn't failed and I am writing during it."