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February 1994 cold snowy second half


damianslaw

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Whilst some are mentioning Feb 1991 at the moment, thanks to the charts suggesting the chance of a potent cold pool from a long draw easterly, I'm reminded back to the events of February 1994, not very memorable for many, but we did manage a 2 week decent cold snowy spell, which by recent winter standards would be ranked highly by many.

Indeed the synoptical output at present is a very strong match for Feb 1994, which saw high pressure nose out from NW Russia region and into scandi ushering in cold air on the 11th, nothing particularly wintry at first, but by the 14th a strong easterly developed giving a couple of inches of snow to many, especially in the east. On the 15th the north had general snow from a trough feature. The easterly relented on the 16th as the high sank into Europe, and the atlantic looked primed to attack, however, it stalled and instead we ended up with a slack cold surface pool of air bringing fog and very low mins in northern parts over snow cover, these conditions lasted, until trough disruption occured to the SW, the period of 20-26th being very snowy here, we had nearly a foot of snow from a frontal feature that failed to make inroads into Scotland, as high pressure built to the north from the arctic... Conditions in the south were less cold and snowy, so I guess this might be a reason it isn't particularly remembered, but for here and Scotland in particular it was a decent wintry period.

Anyone else have any memories of this month, and how similiar the charts are now to then.. I mention the high pressure build to the north, as I suspect this could be the eventual scenario as we move further into February..

(Just looked back at the archive thread, and as I expected there was a thread about Feb 1994 three years ago, quite an interesting read.. )

Edited by damianslaw
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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire

I was just thinking today that this month is reminding me of February 1994!  That month started on a mild note but by the 13th, it had turned very cold with snow flurries.  I had a couple of inches of snow early on the 14th and then during the early hours of the 15th, a front moved up from the south giving a further few inches.  However, this introduced milder air and by the end of the day the snow had mostly thawed.  So, it was a short but potent cold snap for the south.  However, the cold did return the following week with a little more snow.  I think many on here including myself, would be happy with a repeat!

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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl

90's ruled! remember Thursday 3rd very snowy morning, remember now 13th and 14th, and 3 days of constant snow around 22-24th

Edited by I remember Atlantic 252
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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
12 hours ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

90's ruled! remember Thursday 3rd very snowy morning, remember now 13th and 14th, and 3 days of constant snow around 22-24th

Don't recall 3 Feb bringing any snow here.. but yes the period 22-24th was very snowy, far snowier Feb than 1991 here, and only bettered since in 1996. As for 90's winters, they were a very mixed bag, but one thing they tended to produce which has been absent in many a recent winter, were potent polar maritime/arctic maritime blasts on occasions, with enough oomph to produce heavy snow, early March 1995 a very good example.

Overall though, I'd only rank 95/96 as a notably cold snowy one. There was a dire run of winters for snow and cold 97-88, 99-00 just like the last three winters of the 80's, winter 91/92 was also devoid of snow here, but had some cold frosty weather at times, indeed very similiar to how this winter is currently shaping.

Back to Feb 94, I remember the forecasters really struggled, constantly having to backtrack with their thoughts of the atlantic breaking through. 

 

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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
14 hours ago, Weather-history said:

 

looking at this, typical of the 90's, Atlantic was over estimated, nowadays the Atlantic would move through with a whimper no problems

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
12 minutes ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

looking at this, typical of the 90's, Atlantic was over estimated, nowadays the Atlantic would move through with a whimper no problems

Actually, you look at the geopotential 500mb anomaly charts of the winters of the 1990s, it is pretty zonal

Despite the February 1994 Scandi block, overall, winter 1993-94 was a zonal winter

P9HCgC_bXq.png

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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
3 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

Actually, you look at the geopotential 500mb anomaly charts of the winters of the 1990s, it is pretty zonal

Despite the February 1994 Scandi block, overall, winter 1993-94 was a zonal winter

P9HCgC_bXq.png

I don't remember a white Xmas, too young, but looks good, better than majority of 2000+

archives-1993-12-25-12-0.png

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
1 minute ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

I don't remember a white Xmas, too young, but looks good, better than majority of 2000+

archives-1993-12-25-12-0.png

December 1993 had cold zonality in the mix, it was a mild month in the CET area but colder further north. It was a very wet month and active month as a whole.

It says something when it was the snowiest winter month since February 1991.

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
4 minutes ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

we definitely got snow on 3rd Feb WH? I do remember it, Thursday

I remember it, I was caught out in it, wet snow and a cold easterly wind, numbing one side of my face.

January 1994 was mediocre, little in the way of snow. That was typical of the Januarys of the 1990s.

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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
2 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

I remember it, I was caught out in it, wet snow and a cold easterly wind, numbing one side of my face.

January 1994 was mediocre, little in the way of snow. That was typical of the Januarys of the 1990s.

agree 80's were better going back, 90's was start of the warm up, but still wish we had 90's winters back!

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Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.

I remember the wind coming from the SE from this to start with snow and drifting,seemed a strange direction after the classic 80`s easterlies,it was SSE to start.

Edited by Snowyowl9
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Posted
  • Location: Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands 145m ASL
  • Location: Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands 145m ASL

This is another one of those events I don't recall.  I vaguely remember Nov 93 though as that was a pretty cold month with some snow. In fact I've got a photo of me and my sister plus some friends standing next to a snowman we made, which I believe was taken then. I also remember my dad helping me build a really big snowman outside his flat.  It was at the time the coldest November since 1985. I'm not sure if Nov 10 was colder than 93 but it would certainly at least have been the coldest since then. I think I remember some snow in Dec 93 as well, but not 100% sure it was then. It must have been fairly close to Christmas however as at the time I was hoping it would last until then (it didn't). But I remember thinking at the time it would be great if Santa came with snow around for once. I would have been 8 at the time and I still believed in him then. The next time we had snow before and near Christmas (but again gone by then) was 1995 when I was 10, so it couldn't have been then as I stopped believing at that point. 

Edited by Walsall Wood Snow
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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
12 minutes ago, Walsall Wood Snow said:

This is another one of those events I don't recall.  I vaguely remember Nov 93 though as that was a pretty cold month with some snow. In fact I've got a photo of me and my sister plus some friends standing next to a snowman we made, which I believe was taken then. I also remember my dad helping me build a really big snowman outside his flat.  It was at the time the coldest November since 1985. I'm not sure if Nov 10 was colder than 93 but it would certainly at least have been the coldest since then. I think I remember some snow in Dec 93 as well, but not 100% sure it was then. It must have been fairly close to Christmas however as at the time I was hoping it would last until then (it didn't). But I remember thinking at the time it would be great if Santa came with snow around for once. I would have been 8 at the time and I still believed in him then. The next time we had snow before and near Christmas (but again gone by then) was 1995 when I was 10, so it couldn't have been then as I stopped believing at that point. 

November 2010 was warmer than 1993, mainly due to the warm start with temperatures up to 18C in places.  It was the final week that turned exceptionally cold.  November 1993 had a CET of 4.6C and 2010 had a CET of 5.2C.  November 2010 was indeed the coldest since 1993. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Yorkshire Puddin' aka Kirkham, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
  • Weather Preferences: cold winters, cold springs, cold summers and cold autumns
  • Location: Yorkshire Puddin' aka Kirkham, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
On ‎05‎/‎02‎/‎2017 at 22:04, Snowyowl9 said:

I remember the wind coming from the SE from this to start with snow and drifting,seemed a strange direction after the classic 80`s easterlies,it was SSE to start.

Southeasterlies are a surprisingly common wind direction for winter cold spells involving both Continental Polar air and snow events.  With easterly setups involving snow events, the deep southerly tracking troughs/lows attacking from the southwest often have a negative (Northwest-Southeast) tilt and/or the ridges from the Scandi High start to sink further south into Eastern Europe which causes the Continental Polar to return from further south in Europe.  This effect was very common even in the classic winters of the 20th Century and probably the Little Iceage judging by the 19th Century.

Edited by Lettucing Gutted
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Posted
  • Location: Merseyside/ West Lancs Border; North West England
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cool & dry, with regular cold, snowy periods.
  • Location: Merseyside/ West Lancs Border; North West England

I do remember it snowing during the 3rd week of February, whilst the same time as the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer were taking place.

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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
On 04/02/2017 at 23:56, Don said:

I was just thinking today that this month is reminding me of February 1994!  That month started on a mild note but by the 13th, it had turned very cold with snow flurries.  I had a couple of inches of snow early on the 14th and then during the early hours of the 15th, a front moved up from the south giving a further few inches.  However, this introduced milder air and by the end of the day the snow had mostly thawed.  So, it was a short but potent cold snap for the south.  However, the cold did return the following week with a little more snow.  I think many on here including myself, would be happy with a repeat!

Sadly, this month reminding me of February 1994 didn't last for very long.  No repeat this year that's for sure and last weekend's cold snap wasn't a patch on that of mid-February 1994!

Edited by Don
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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
9 minutes ago, Don said:

Sadly, this month reminding me of February 1994 didn't last for very long.  No repeat this year that's for sure and last weekend's cold snap wasn't a patch on that of mid-February 1994!

There's a surprise! we have warmed enough in 23 years to make low level snow much harder

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  • 2 years later...
Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
On 21/02/2019 at 05:13, Weather-history said:

25 years ago

John Kettley's Countryfile chart of 13th Feb for 17th Feb

s8301xx.png

and how it turned out

gbFxgfn.png

John Kettley's Countryfile chart of 20th for 23rd Feb

RsWczHp.png

and how it turned out

y4AenYD.png

and for 24th Feb and what happened

UuQz33O.png

byzQa3l.png

cha

Remembering back again to 1994, it was quite an unusual set up - battlelines drawn across the UK, the same thing happened in the run up to christmas 95, but the cold to the north was much stronger.

Shame we haven't had these set ups in many recent winters.

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Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.

The beauty of recording the weather is a must in these winters,memory is a very funny thing on its own mixing the wrong dates up,yes this was a very solid month all in all,blizzards twice that month once on the 3rd Rrea00119940203.gif and again from those easterly gales on the 14th around a grand total  of 13 inches that month here.

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