July to November 1993: cold

[Weather-history]

25 years since this extended cool to cold period  CETs  July 1993: 15.2°C (-0.9) August 1993: 14.6°C  (-1.2) September 1993: 12.4°C (-1.2) October 1993: 8.5°C  (-2.1) November 1993: 4.6°C (-1.9) It turned out to be the coldest autumn since 1952 for the CET and the coldest July-November period for the CET since 1919. Unusually cold weather at times occurred during that period and seems to have started with that cold front of 9th July 9th July: dramatic mid summer temperature drop 23rd August: chilly late summer's day Mid October: early start to winter season 22nd November: severe frosts in the SW 24th November: Mild in far SW, very cold in far NE The cold period was broken in December for the CET area but further north, December was a cold month as well. Question is what caused it and why did it last so long?  Looking through my diary from that period, I noticed how often I mentioned "cool or cold". Over 50 times.

[Lettucing Gutted]

I've always believed that cold period was a residual effect of the temporary but sharp global cooling which was caused by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.

[Snowyowl9]

July 11th was cold a min of 4c max of 11c.

[leedsnowfan]

14 hours ago, Weather-history said:

25 years since this extended cool to cold period  CETs  July 1993: 15.2°C (-0.9) August 1993: 14.6°C  (-1.2) September 1993: 12.4°C (-1.2) October 1993: 8.5°C  (-2.1) November 1993: 4.6°C (-1.9) It turned out to be the coldest autumn since 1952 for the CET and the coldest July-November period for the CET since 1919. Unusually cold weather at times occurred during that period and seems to have started with that cold front of 9th July 9th July: dramatic mid summer temperature drop 23rd August: chilly late summer's day Mid October: early start to winter season 22nd November: severe frosts in the SW 24th November: Mild in far SW, very cold in far NE The cold period was broken in December for the CET area but further north, December was a cold month as well. Question is what caused it and why did it last so long?  Looking through my diary from that period, I noticed how often I mentioned "cool or cold". Over 50 times.

I remember that actual day in July very well. I was at the Crystal Palace Athletic Stadium and it rained and rained....everyone was freezing!

Edited September 24, 2018 by leedsnowfan

[Harry233]

This period was very unusual, particularly in the summer where although cold was often dry and sunny, can remember some very cool days in August of around 11-15.C and some very cold nights in November with some good snow.

[Snowyowl9]

1993 was the coldest November since 1985 but not much snow with just a slight covering at best.

Bitterly cold though the second lowest November temps I`ve recorded that record was beaten in 2010 though with that exceptional cold end.

Edited September 25, 2018 by Snowyowl9

[damianslaw]

Remember this period very well, I had a paper round at the time, and many a cold wet morning! It was devoid of any significant milder than average weather and at times brought significantly below average temps for lengthy periods. Mid October was notably cold, and preety wintry, with harsh frosts and wintry showers. Late November brought widespread snow here, and some very cold days and severe frost lasting all day under freezing fog.

September I remember being preety miserable with some cold wet days.

December as well was cold at times especially second half with a wintry spell, we had snow showers on christmas day.

The period 1990-1994 brought quite chilly autumns overall, with some cold Septembers and Octobers, and I remember seeing quite a bit of snow in October on the high tops.

[Sunny76]

On 24/09/2018 at 14:33, Lettucing Gutted said:

I've always believed that cold period was a residual effect of the temporary but sharp global cooling which was caused by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.

Wasn’t this winter that produced snow on Valentine’s Day over much of england, during the following February?

[Sunny76]

23 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Remember this period very well, I had a paper round at the time, and many a cold wet morning! It was devoid of any significant milder than average weather and at times brought significantly below average temps for lengthy periods. Mid October was notably cold, and preety wintry, with harsh frosts and wintry showers. Late November brought widespread snow here, and some very cold days and severe frost lasting all day under freezing fog.

September I remember being preety miserable with some cold wet days.

December as well was cold at times especially second half with a wintry spell, we had snow showers on christmas day.

The period 1990-1994 brought quite chilly autumns overall, with some cold Septembers and Octobers, and I remember seeing quite a bit of snow in October on the high tops.

Yes, I actually remember Septembers between 1990 and 95 being chilly. Although 95 and 91 were warmish, they still had some cold days thrown in.

Autumns were nice and crisp during this era, and many days in October were already cold or very cold. 1994 started to buck the trend towards milder autumns though and I remember October 94 having a warm feel to it early in the month.

[Sunny76]

Summer 93 was pretty rotten and up there with the worst ones from the 1980s. Apart from a hot spell in mid June, and early July, the summer overall was cool or cold and cloudy. 

May was sunny and the spring wasn’t too bad, but July and August in the main were poor, with only a few hot days in mid August. 

[cheeky_monkey]

21 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

Wasn’t this winter that produced snow on Valentine’s Day over much of england, during the following February?

winter 1991-92 was very dry and snow less from memory..certainly don't remember any snow events at all

[Don]

21 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

Wasn’t this winter that produced snow on Valentine’s Day over much of england, during the following February?

I think you’re thinking of February 1994.

[Methuselah]

Was living in Highland Scotland (half-a-mile up the Glen from the Bearnock Tearoom) back then and, aye summer and autumn 1993 were both pretty dire. The only redeeming feature was being able to go sledging, in mid October!

[Snowyowl9]

February 14th 1992 was 7c and not much else.

[Sunny76]

I was talking about February 1994, which actually followed the cold second half of 1993. 

Winter 91-92 was mild, but the summers of 92 and 93 were unsettled and overall coolish, despite early summer 92 having some hot weather, especially May. 

[Typhoon John]

In the late 90s early 00s living in Durham at the time and I remember as a teenager wondering why the Autumns were never as cold and frosty as when I was younger. It had felt like I was always scraping ice off my Mum's car. I'd always thought it must have just seemed like that as I was younger but maybe it was true! 

[Weather-history]

 

[Weather-history]

Do you remember watching those BBC forecasts of old to see if the blue colours would be advancing towards us? 25 years ago today

 

 

 

 

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

bbc forecasts so good back then

[damianslaw]

Yes the chlropleth maps showing temperatures were my favourite. I always got excited when the blues invaded the country.

I remember the easterly spell in November 1993 very well - proof easterlies can deliver significant cold and snow in November if the depth of cold is sufficient as it was in 1993. It came on the back of a cold wintry October as well.

We had a week or more of significantly below average temperatures from about 19th, only ending at the tail end of the month. There was much freezing fog, and very low nightime temps - with maxes only slowly creeping above freezing on a couple of days at least not sure exact dates.

The 90s delivered quite a few wintry spells in Autumn with some very sustained below average temp periods, Nov 1990 was preety cold later on with lots of frost, Sept and Oct 92 significantly below average temps, Autumn 93 as a whole much colder than average, snow in Oct with hard frosts, Nov snow, Oct 94 brought a snowy northerly early on, Nov 95 also a snowy northerly, Nov 96 cold and snowy later on, Nov 98 and Nov 99 were quite cold as well at times.

[Weather-history]

The evening of 8th December 1993 was a stormy one for much of England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a vigorous low tracked across Scotland. I remember it being very windy that night here. 

Maximum gust in mph
Aberporth: 95.4
St Catherine's Point: 85.7
Leeds Weather Centre: 81.6
Odiham: 80.4
Valley: 79.4
Cardiff Weather Centre: 78.2
London Weather Centre: 75.9
Nottingham: 75.9
Bedford Airport: 74.9
Bristol: 74.7
Aldegrove: 71.3
Withering: 70.7
Stansted: 70.2

Forecast by Penny Tranter

 

Resized to 98% (was 823 x 656) - Click image toenlarge

Edited December 8, 2018 by Weather-history

[AderynCoch]

I was only eight at the time and don't remember this period at all (didn't have an active interest in the weather yet) but I remember Christmas Day 1993 being cold and icy, even if December on the whole was mild.