Past winters discussion

[Thunderbolt_]

I think February 2012 is a month that is often very hard done by and forgotten. The first half of that month was really quite cold with a notable snowy spell on 4-5 February and a smaller one on the 8 February.

I think it's just because the last ten or so days of that month were very mild, that's why it's often overlooked.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Thunderbolt_

[Norway Nut]

Neighbours farm here in Norway in the winter of 2009/2010. My first winter after relocating here to Western Norway!

[Polar Maritime]

Lovely shot there N.H ☺

[Mair Snaw]

Great Pictures there PM brings back memories does that... March 2013 was one hell of a blizzard....

[jethro]

I don't remember 78/79 being anything special in the Cotswolds, snow but nothing out of the ordinary. I think that was more a northern event? Certainly the Pennines were hit hard, many hill farmers went bankrupt and gave up after that winter, they'd lost all their stock. The documentary 'Too long a winter' about Hannah Hauxwell is about that harsh winter in the dales.

1981/82 is still far and way the best, snowiest winter I've ever experienced. Although not technically a white Christmas as nothing fell on the day, it most definitely was very white - deep, crisp and even. Drifts way up over the stone walls for weeks on end, it was heavenly.

 

1984/85 was very snowy and cold. I'd just moved to south Northamptonshire, the village was on top of a big hill and we'd asked the vendors what it was like in the winter (kind of hoping they'd say snow prone), disappointingly they swore snow was never a problem. How wrong they were (or telling great big porkies..) within weeks we were well and truly snowed in, cut off for days

 

I think it was 1995(?)  that brought the biggest surprise snow. By then, living in north Yorkshire, we'd been up to visit family in Dundee and were coming home either new years eve or the day before. When we set off from Dundee there was a biting wind and a few flurries blowing around but nothing significant, nowt troublesome forecast. Well, it got heavier and heavier. It was bitterly cold, almost neat screenwash freezing on the windscreen, the motorway was down to one lane with snowploughs out. The usual 4 ish hour journey took 13 hours! At times we seriously wondered if we'd make it but with two young children, a 9 month old baby and an old English sheepdog in the car we didn't have much option, we trudged on in a determined manner. Nightmare journey! We were however rewarded the next day when we woke to nigh on two foot of powder snow, clear blue sky and all the time in the world to go and play in it.

 

Down here in soggy Somerset I'm still waiting for one of those historic south west blizzards (19 years and counting....). February 2009 is the closest we've got, well over a foot of snow overnight, again not really forecast or expected. I think something stalled and pivoted apparently, whatever it was, it was an amazing surprise to wake up to.

 

2010 didn't really cut the mustard down here. We had a bit of snow, it was blinking cold for weeks on end, but a memorable winter? Not round here it wasn't.

 

Surprise and late falls, two years win.....  28th March 1975, Good Friday and my mum's birthday. At home in the Cotswolds we had getting on for a foot of snow, came out of nowhere, heavy, wet and totally unexpected. April 4th 2000 down here in Somerset, moving house day, huge removal lorries trying to negotiate the tiny narrow lanes on top of the Mendips, again totally unexpected and a bleeding nightmare. The one and only time I've not danced with glee at the sight of snow.

[Weather-history]

Heavy snow showers crossed the Pennines on a strong easterly that Friday night in January 1996 giving one of the deepest snow coverings of the 90s. A real strong mid winter easterly with low 850hpas has been virtually non existent since

[Summer of 95]

I think February 2012 is a month that is often very hard done by and forgotten. The first half of that month was really quite cold with a notable snowy spell on 4-5 February and a smaller one on the 8 February.

I think it's just because the last ten or so days of that month were very mild, that's why it's often overlooked.

It's forgotten here because it was rubbish! Snow in the east, and in Rome, all we got was rain, even that Saturday when it was below freezing and the forecast was for snow everywhere except the SW. Still can't find an explanation for that one- the uppers were OK, it snowed 20 miles away, but even the Welsh hills got rain as well. It was like the wintry weather refused to move west of Birmingham, whatever the temperatures.

All Feb 2012 gave us was a dusting early on the 19th, from a Cheshire Gap shower, totally unconnected to that easterly. April gave us more, a surprise covering on the 4th when only sleet was forecast.

[BlueHedgehog074]

It's forgotten here because it was rubbish! Snow in the east, and in Rome, all we got was rain, even that Saturday when it was below freezing and the forecast was for snow everywhere except the SW. Still can't find an explanation for that one- the uppers were OK, it snowed 20 miles away, but even the Welsh hills got rain as well. It was like the wintry weather refused to move west of Birmingham, whatever the temperatures.

Was a shame that setup wasn't concentrated another 20 or so miles further West so that you guys could have joined in on the snowy action too. But perhaps someone just simply forgot to disable the Shropshire Snowshield on that day (wasn't me ). It's amazing, though, the difference a few miles makes when you get these marginal situations.

Admittedly did quite well out of that event with a 10cm dumping, though the snow tended to become more sleety and drizzly towards the end as some slightly milder air tried to defeat the Solihull Sleetshield and the Solihull Rainshield.

Edited November 12, 2015 by DiagonalRedLine

[andy989]

In terms of Snowfall, January 2013 for IMBY. 18 hour blizzard with huge drifts. Snow stayed on the ground for a while too.
 

https://forum.netweather.tv/gallery/image/19003-drifts/

https://forum.netweather.tv/gallery/image/19004-drifts/

https://forum.netweather.tv/gallery/image/19009-igloo/

But in terms of cold, length, snow and all round amazing, 2010. First frost was on bonfire night then 26th NOVEMBER! we had the first lot of heavy snow and it carried on right up until just before new years. It was like living in a Scandinavian country with snow on the ground every day, bellow zero daily temps and often a night time of -12 IMBY. Would choose 2010 every time.   

Edited November 12, 2015 by andy989

[Guest]

December 2010, Oh the joys. As you can see in the 1st pic of my driveway.. The 2nd the Duke of York on the A515 just up the road and the last one with the gritter was March 2013.

 

Depending upon where you live, Jan 2013 and March 2013 were either rubbish or extremely snowy. We lived up on the moor back then and had some big snowfalls with a lot of drifting at times. The photo of the gritter you've put up could have been replicated further up the Lammermuirs from where I was, some of the drifts were massive.

 

Here are a few snaps, the first three from the Jan and the second three from the March:

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Feb 4th 2012 was good here, only thawed slowly good spell that

[Thunderbolt_]

Depending upon where you live, Jan 2013 and March 2013 were either rubbish or extremely snowy. We lived up on the moor back then and had some big snowfalls with a lot of drifting at times. The photo of the gritter you've put up could have been replicated further up the Lammermuirs from where I was, some of the drifts were massive.

 

Here are a few snaps, the first three from the Jan and the second three from the March:

 

086.JPG146.JPG163.JPG

060.JPG070.JPG075.JPG

 

IMBY, March 2013 was rubbish whatever your preferences are. Daytime maximas were almost constantly 3-5C and minimas were 0C and it was rediculously cloudy. There wasn't that much snow and it just consisted of cold rain and sleet with the occasional day of wet snow. Even the snowiest spell overnight 22-23 March only accumulated about 2cm. An awful month!

 

Not really snowy enough for the coldies, and far too cold and dull for the mildies...

Edited November 12, 2015 by Thunderbolt_

[I remember Atlantic 252]

March '13 amazing here 15 cms snow, mainly from late on 22nd right through to 24th, days following cold and sunny, even into April there were snowmen still there

[iand61]

INMBY, March 2013 was rubbish whatever your preferences are. Daytime maximas were almost constantly 3-5C and minimas were 0C and it was rediculously cloudy. There wasn't that much snow and it just consisted of cold rain and sleet with the occasional day of wet snow. Even the snowiest spell overnight 22-23 March only accumulated about 2cm. An awful month!

 

Not really snowy enough for the coldies, and far too cold and dull for the mildies...

22-23 March was a hell of a blizzard here.

Not a great amount of snow but some of the drifts were huge and on a scale not seen here since 1979.

I agree that it wasn't snowy for everyone and our altitude certainly helped but impressive all the same and we still had the remains of drifts into May.

[Cheshire Freeze]

IMBY, March 2013 was rubbish whatever your preferences are. Daytime maximas were almost constantly 3-5C and minimas were 0C and it was rediculously cloudy. There wasn't that much snow and it just consisted of cold rain and sleet with the occasional day of wet snow. Even the snowiest spell overnight 22-23 March only accumulated about 2cm. An awful month!

 

Not really snowy enough for the coldies, and far too cold and dull for the mildies...

 

March 2013 required two things- elevation (as you tend to need in March and why snow after mid-late Feb is generally rubbish away from the hills) and the second thing is not being in the rain shadow of the Pennines. March 2013 was pants here too....constantly wet (not white) roads and freezing cold!

[stewfox]

I don't remember 78/79 being anything special in the Cotswolds, snow but nothing out of the ordinary. I think that was more a northern event? 

 

According to my 1979 diary, i use to write a page of A4 every day Jan 79 was a very cold snowy month in surrey

 

I didn't get the bumps at school for my birthday and I 'cheated' by adding ice from the freezer to my snowman but my dad finally cotton on in June.

 

I said on 20 Jan 1979 I had lied re all the snow melting some still left and underlined it, that was the night I went to see Jaws 2 but I digress.

[cheese]

I think it was 1995(?)  that brought the biggest surprise snow. By then, living in north Yorkshire, we'd been up to visit family in Dundee and were coming home either new years eve or the day before. When we set off from Dundee there was a biting wind and a few flurries blowing around but nothing significant, nowt troublesome forecast. Well, it got heavier and heavier. It was bitterly cold, almost neat screenwash freezing on the windscreen, the motorway was down to one lane with snowploughs out. The usual 4 ish hour journey took 13 hours! At times we seriously wondered if we'd make it but with two young children, a 9 month old baby and an old English sheepdog in the car we didn't have much option, we trudged on in a determined manner. Nightmare journey! We were however rewarded the next day when we woke to nigh on two foot of powder snow, clear blue sky and all the time in the world to go and play in it.

 

You might be thinking of 25/26 January 1995. That was a surprise fall - around 40cm. People at the West Yorkshire Playhouse were stranded overnight. People abandoned their cars en masse and walked home. It was a nightmare.

 

About 5 days later it was 12C and the snow went bye bye.

 

It, however, remains single best fall of snow I have ever experienced.

Edited November 12, 2015 by cheese

[damianslaw]

For sustained bouts of cold and snowy weather, since 78/79, the best of the bunch was 09/10. Preety much cold throughout from about the 10th Dec onwards lingering well into March, with 8 inch cover on the ground at Christmas, a run of ice days in early Jan, and plenty of snowfalls. Winter 10/11 was a game of 2 halves, very similar in nature to 81/82, certainly Dec 81 up there with the best in terms of snowy cold weather, but the winter fizzled in mid Jan, likewise winter 10/11 which began unusually early with signficant cold weather late Nov, but was shut down by early Jan (always think too much cold weather early on isn't necessarily a good thing, just like warmth in April!...). Dec 10 though was epic for severe cold, many of the Lakes froze over solid - still waiting to see Lake Windermere freeze substantially mind... not happened since 1963.

 

After 09/10 overall I would rate 95/96 as the next best, a cold December with severe cold last week, and the infamous snowfall of early Feb which came on the back of a cold snowy end to Jan, the cold kept coming back in mid March and April we had further snow and very cold weather.

 

Winter 84/85 also very decent. 08/09 a good one for episodic cold snowy weather interspersed with milder wetter weather - quite an unusual winter in this respect, Dec unusually so, with a cold start and end filled with a very mild wet middle - not often you see a December like 2008.

[Snowyowl9]

I would just love a repeat of just 10 years ago a superb very dry coldish winter and much more surprises November was superb in itself ago 20 years would be better though and 30 years ago better still except for the very slow wet start.

Something is telling me something about winters ending in 5/6.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Snowyowl9

[jethro]

You might be thinking of 25/26 January 1995. That was a surprise fall - around 40cm. People at the West Yorkshire Playhouse were stranded overnight. People abandoned their cars en masse and walked home. It was a nightmare.

 

About 5 days later it was 12C and the snow went bye bye.

 

It, however, remains single best fall of snow I have ever experienced.

No, it was definitely new years eve or day before. It was one of those annual family festive things, year after year, up to Dundee boxing day, back down to celebrate new year at home. Not sure of the year though, around mid '90's is my best guess.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

No, it was definitely new years eve or day before. It was one of those annual family festive things, year after year, up to Dundee boxing day, back down to celebrate new year at home. Not sure of the year though, around mid '90's is my best guess.

 

30th Dec '95 was very snowy, remember it, did turn less cold from the south mind you on new years eve in the south

[damianslaw]

Winters 55/56, 85/86, 95/96 and 05/06 saw a lot of cold anticyclonic conditions notably Feb 56 and Feb 86 2 very cold dry months. Winter 05/06 didn't produce at any stage anything as cold but was consistently quite cool. Winter 95/96 produced plenty of cold easterlies. Winter 65/66 also produced some very cold easterly airstreams in Jan. The only winter not to appear is 75/76 which was mild, but I do believe also very dry.. so mmm a theme here.

[Thunderbolt_]

Winters 55/56, 85/86, 95/96 and 05/06 saw a lot of cold anticyclonic conditions notably Feb 56 and Feb 86 2 very cold dry months. Winter 05/06 didn't produce at any stage anything as cold but was consistently quite cool. Winter 95/96 produced plenty of cold easterlies. Winter 65/66 also produced some very cold easterly airstreams in Jan. The only winter not to appear is 75/76 which was mild, but I do believe also very dry.. so mmm a theme here.

 

Yes, February 1986: the lost and forgotton cold month. With a CET of minus 1.1C, it's actually more severe than December 2010 was. It also comes right off the back of November 1985, which was the coldest since 1919, with a CET of 4.1.

 

It's funny you should that now, as I'm currently getting statistics together to make one of my historic videos on those two months.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Thunderbolt_

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Nov '96 was even better, great spell from 18th to 25th

[Guest]

For sustained bouts of cold and snowy weather, since 78/79, the best of the bunch was 09/10. Preety much cold throughout from about the 10th Dec onwards lingering well into March, with 8 inch cover on the ground at Christmas, a run of ice days in early Jan, and plenty of snowfalls. Winter 10/11 was a game of 2 halves, very similar in nature to 81/82, certainly Dec 81 up there with the best in terms of snowy cold weather, but the winter fizzled in mid Jan, likewise winter 10/11 which began unusually early with signficant cold weather late Nov, but was shut down by early Jan (always think too much cold weather early on isn't necessarily a good thing, just like warmth in April!...). Dec 10 though was epic for severe cold, many of the Lakes froze over solid - still waiting to see Lake Windermere freeze substantially mind... not happened since 1963.

 

After 09/10 overall I would rate 95/96 as the next best, a cold December with severe cold last week, and the infamous snowfall of early Feb which came on the back of a cold snowy end to Jan, the cold kept coming back in mid March and April we had further snow and very cold weather.

 

Winter 84/85 also very decent. 08/09 a good one for episodic cold snowy weather interspersed with milder wetter weather - quite an unusual winter in this respect, Dec unusually so, with a cold start and end filled with a very mild wet middle - not often you see a December like 2008.

 

95/96 was good, that snow at the start of Feb 96 was the single best snow event I've experienced. I wish I had photos of it. The 'problem' with that snowfall is that it was fairly isolated to western parts of Scotland and England, many other areas missed out.