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6th January 1994 snowfalls catches people out.


Weather-history

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

Although the prospects of snow was forecast, this snowfall did catch many people by surprise on the 6th January 1994. 
A band of rain became slow moving in a line from the Wash to Hampshire, including parts of West London. As the falling preciptation cooled the surrounding air, the rain turned to snow and this process was fastest in the areas where the preciptation was heaviest. By evening, most of the Home Counties to the north and west of London were having heavy snowfalls and this severely affected the major routes in the area especially the M1, M25 and M40 causing travel chaos. Up to 7" of snow fell in parts of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The situation was further complicated when the skies cleared later in the night to allow the snow and slush to freeze.

Rrea00119940106.gif

 

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Posted
  • Location: Rossland BC Canada
  • Location: Rossland BC Canada

Interesting ... some of the coldest weather we ever experienced (in Ontario before moving west) was about a week later in mid-January 1994, morning lows near -40 and daytime highs -25 at best. 

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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
On 03/01/2019 at 11:37, Weather-history said:

Although the prospects of snow was forecast, this snowfall did catch many people by surprise on the 6th January 1994. 
A band of rain became slow moving in a line from the Wash to Hampshire, including parts of West London. As the falling preciptation cooled the surrounding air, the rain turned to snow and this process was fastest in the areas where the preciptation was heaviest. By evening, most of the Home Counties to the north and west of London were having heavy snowfalls and this severely affected the major routes in the area especially the M1, M25 and M40 causing travel chaos. Up to 7" of snow fell in parts of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The situation was further complicated when the skies cleared later in the night to allow the snow and slush to freeze.

Rrea00119940106.gif

 

Remember it well and a very pleasant surprise.  Can't believe it was 25 years ago!  However, wasn't a patch on the event that occurred exactly 16 years later!

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Posted
  • Location: Manchester Deansgate.
  • Weather Preferences: Heavy disruptive snowfall.
  • Location: Manchester Deansgate.

Not sure if this was the same event, but the previous night there was a forecast for overnight snow in the West Midlands but i got up and there was Jack, always remember the local forecaster on BBC WM saying places Just to the North of birmingham might miss out but in the end SW birmingham never got any, i vaguely remember that on the next day there was an evening  rush our event in London and East Anglia.

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

great old winters, bring 'em back, one I remember too was 5th Jan '98, not sure but 21 years on, same setup today would be mostly rain

 

archives-1998-1-5-12-0.png

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

Januarys of the 1990s were generally poor for widespread snow, they were local indivdual events but the Januarys of the 1990s will not be remembered as snowfests. 

Even during the midst of a cold winter such as 1995-96, they were were three weeks of weather totally devoid of any wintriness, no frosts etc and that was during January. They was even an unexpected thaw during late January 1996, a strange dry thaw where the snow just seem to disappear with no melting evident.

I saw more lying snow during January 2010 that the whole of the Januarys of the 1990s combined

 

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

great old winters, bring 'em back, one I remember too was 5th Jan '98, not sure but 21 years on, same setup today would be mostly rain

 

archives-1998-1-5-12-0.png

Seriously, you really are scraping the barrel with that one if you are trying to demonstrate how good the winter of the 1990s were. I bet it was gone the next day and you possibly saw no lying snow for the rest of that year. Remember February 1998? 

Edited by Weather-history
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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl

can agree 90's winters nothing on 80's and earlier, but do not remember 80's winters, so 90's living here snowiest decade by miles that I remember

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Posted
  • Location: Dunstable 446ft ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold with frost & snow in winter; hot and dry in summer
  • Location: Dunstable 446ft ASL

Remember this event very well. I was working in Luton at the time and left work around 5.30pm. We had experienced heavy rain but walking to the car it was clear the rain was turning to sleet and wet snow. By the time I go home to Dunstable it was snowing heavily and we ended up with a 6/7 inch covering on the higher ground around the town. If I recall correctly the worst conditions were slightly east of us towards Hitchin. Unfortunately, and typical of many of the events at the time (excluding Feb 1991) the snow cover was gone within a couple of days. Very enjoyable whilst it lasted though !

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

Have some memories of this forecast - it coincided with the BBC celebrating a birthday of some sort - and a weather programme being on showing BBC weather forecasts of yesteryear.

Yes, many snowfalls in the winters of the 90s were short affairs, a one day event with snow rarely sticking for lengthy periods, exception being Feb 91, and Dec 95, late Jan 96-Feb 96 and Dec 96 into Jan 97.

Winter 93/94 was an interesting winter with a number of snowfalls thanks to polar airstreams, interspersed with milder spells. The fells received significant amounts of snow and it came on the back of a cold autumn with snow in October and November.

The best snowfall here occured in Feb 94, I think it was the 23rd, when a foot fell, it didn't thaw until 25th with a further top up before snow turned to rain. Mid Feb brought a potent snowy easterly as well. Jan 94 was the least snowy of the three months. Dec 93 brought transient snowfalls mid month, and around christmas.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Home: Chingford, London (NE). Work: London (C)
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: cold and snowy. Summer: hot and sunny
  • Location: Home: Chingford, London (NE). Work: London (C)
6 hours ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

great old winters, bring 'em back, one I remember too was 5th Jan '98, not sure but 21 years on, same setup today would be mostly rain

 

archives-1998-1-5-12-0.png

97/98 was an awful winter for cold and snow. 

 

6 hours ago, Weather-history said:

Januarys of the 1990s were generally poor for widespread snow, they were local indivdual events but the Januarys of the 1990s will not be remembered as snowfests. 

Even during the midst of a cold winter such as 1995-96, they were were three weeks of weather totally devoid of any wintriness, no frosts etc and that was during January. They was even an unexpected thaw during late January 1996, a strange dry thaw where the snow just seem to disappear with no melting evident.

I saw more lying snow during January 2010 that the whole of the Januarys of the 1990s combined

 

 

Maybe it’s just my recollection, but I don’t think the 90s were that bad. Feb 91 was the classic, but there were also good spells in November 93, Feb 94, 1995/96 on multiple occasions and late December 96/early Jan 97 was bitter. 

Edited by danm
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