Back to back ice days late in the season

[damianslaw]

Looks like a number of places will see back to back ice days today and tomorrow, possible a triple whammy for some, possibly more in Scotland.

Last time we had back to back ice days was I think Jan 2013, but probably a couple at best then. We managed a 9 day run in Dec 2010. 

Last time we had back to back ice days so late in the season was I suspect 1986. We've had a few ice days in March, but single entities such as 11 March 2013. Late March 2013 brought many days with maxes in the 2-4 degree range, though I think we might have scraped a 0, or 1 degree max.

 

[Hodgheg]

Sort of on topic. So i noticed this year that the grit that councils use is white. What happened to that brown rock salt they used?

[reef]

The last back to back ice days here were in December 2010 when we recorded two in a row on three separate occasions. January and February have been poor for even getting single ice days in recent years, with just three in total since 1987.

Of more interest here is that today's ice day is the latest on record, the previous being 21st February 1986.

As for tomorrow, it's almost certain to beat the record low March maxima. The holder of that one is 4th March 1987 with a max of 1.9C - a figure that is certain to go tomorrow even if we do get above freezing. 

Edited February 28, 2018 by reef

[Snowyowl9]

Last time we had 2 ice days was not long ago just in December.

Yep I can see records been smashed next couple of days.

Edited February 28, 2018 by Snowyowl9

[Terminal Moraine]

The latest consecutive ice days I've recorded was 3 from the 24th-26th March 2013. January 2013 was quite notable in recent years with 9 but February 1986 is in a league of its own with 20, followed by another 5 after a single day above 0c on the 24th. The latest ever ice day was April 26th 1981 with a max' of -0.2c.

[Snowyowl9]

Didn`t have any ice days in 2013 it always crept above 0c however brief for a second,mins were not not very low either in January.

[Froze were the Days]

Coldest day yesterday on the Essex coast since New years day 1997!! with a max of -1.4c and last ice day here since Xmas day 2010 when it was very misty and hence the cold persisted. Came close to ice days in Feb 2012 and Jan 2013 but mainly between 0.4c and 0.8c...so yesterday was really an old school proper winter day, be interesting to see if we get another today (again last time this happened was back in the very cold spell of late 1996/1997).

Edited March 1, 2018 by Froze were the Days

[reef]

Most annoyingly it has just hit 0.1C for around 30 seconds and then fallen back below freezing so no consecutive ice days here. As mentioned above its still well below the low March max of 1.9C set in 1987, so a new record looks likely by some way.

[hillbilly]

Yes T m  the latest here by a country mile without checking my records was that in late April 1981 I think we had 2 consecutive days 25th and 26th Amazing.This weather does however remind me of 1986 only back then it lasted almost 6 weeks with just a handful of those days not being ice days

[stodge]

It's incredibly rare to get an ice day in London but to have consecutive days in Feb/March is extraordinary.

To be fair, we had an ice day on March 11th 2013 and before that Saturday December 18th 2010 but I can't recall two successive ice days in the past 40 years.

In 1987, Monday January 11th was unprecedented in terms of severity of cold - my maximum that day (albeit in SE rather East London) was -5.6c and we've been above that this week - but not so in terms of longevity.

It's entirely possible we'll have a third ice day tomorrow and that will be beyond unusual - it will be a glimpse of what people endured for weeks in 1963 or 1947 and this in the urban heat island. We've had snow in March (2008 if memory serves and 2013 so the snow lying isn't that rare) but the severity and longevity of the cold is and has been remarkable - it has been consistently and persistently cold since Monday.

It's entirely possible some places further north could be below freezing for 7-10 days if some of the model output I've seen is accurate.

[damianslaw]

Oooh an old school winters day today in March! Bleak summed it up, leaden grey skies, snow and a howling wind drifting it about.

Second ice day, and most likely tomorrow will bring another.

Long time that we have had conditions like today, recent bitter snowy spells haven't been accompanied by such strong winds. I think Feb 1947 delivered day after day like today.. 

[Stargazer]

Two ice days in a row here in Reading - maxima of -0.2 yesterday then -1.8 today, the first time this has happened since December 2010. The official station at the university, up the hill from the town centre, recorded -0.5 and -2.3.

[Snowyowl9]

23 hours ago, John Hodgson said:

Sort of on topic. So i noticed this year that the grit that councils use is white. What happened to that brown rock salt they used?

Cutbacks again lol only white no goodness in white salt,coloured salt much better to eat himalayan salt very good for you.

hehe.

[Froze were the Days]

Just missed out here on 2 back to back ice days on the Essex coast with a max today of 0.4c...still bitterly cold in that strengthening wind

[Mapantz]

I'm perilously close to not managing an ice day at all. 45 minutes to go! Hovering between -0.5 and -0.4,

[Mark Neal.]

Thursday 1st March. Low of -5.4c. High of -2c.