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Thames Snow Streamer Event of February 2009


Tom Quintavalle

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Posted
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snowy Weather
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.

It's hard to imagine, in this current mild Winter, that parts of the Thames Corridor were under 6+ inches of Snow, on the 2nd February 2009.

Having lived in the S.E.London area for most of the 64 Years of my life, I've witnessed a few "Thames Snow Streamers" but the 2nd February 2009 version, is without doubt the most potent, I've experienced.

I'd like to hear Members own experiences, of that spell.

In a couple of Days time, I will Post up some of my own memories of that event.

In the meantime, I leave you with a couple of YouTube clips, of that Snowfall:

 

I worked in Croydon, Surrey, at the time (a few hundred yards from where the majority of this video was shot), and had done for around 12 Years, on and off but in all that time, had  never seen Snowfall as deep as this. But this "Streamer" behaved differently to the norm. The reasons for which were given a brilliant analysis, by our own Paul Sherman. 

 

There were a few cracks of thunder associated with this intense train of Snow Showers, and heard the thunder associated with this bolt of lightning, at my home location of Lee, around 13 Miles to the West.

A couple of archive Charts, from that event:

image.thumb.png.0693e9d78d662704ee9efea5d489e571.png    image.thumb.png.724e4056373588b7625a2815ae8c34cd.png

Regards,

Tom.   :hi:

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Posted
  • Location: SE London
  • Location: SE London

Tom, I remember it well. I was due to start a shift that day and was up at my usual silly o’clock time of 0400. Seeing the snow on the ground made me leave early to get the train into Charing Cross. But with no trains running from Woolwich I ended up walking to work (Woolwich to Whitehall) luckily a few colleagues lived Canary Wharf area and made it to work too. After my 12-hour day shift my colleague and I went to the station to try and get a train home. It was pretty futile and so we decided to see if the river buses were running. Couldn’t believe that with half of London waiting for tube/trains/buses that we were literally the only people to get on a river bus. And we even got a fares discount for proving we worked for the Ministry of Defence  
I got off the boat at Woolwich Arsenal and believe it or not, the walk home been all uphill was worse than the walk I did to get to work
 

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One of the best events in memory - shame in melted pretty quick.

32cm in Bexleyheath Kent. Such a shame I wasnt living in New ash green at the time as my friend who lives at Culverstone which is a similar height reported nearer 50cm & the radio mast at West kingsdown has 2M drifts!

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Hi all! Seeing this thread inspired me to join the site as this is my single best snow event in 35 years.

Here in north London the snow set in at about 9pm and just got heavier and heavier through the night, with only very brief lulls. By dawn we had 18cms of level snow and drifts in excess of a foot.

The funny thing was, the streamer delivered far more to London than most expected; conversely, the ‘main event’, the following afternoon, delivered almost nothing. An anticipated area of heavy snow moving up from France turned out to be a light and patchy affair.

This event remains unrivalled for me in terms of the intensity and duration of the snowfall. A really special event for London.

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Posted
  • Location: Leeds/Bradford border, 185 metres above sea level, around 600 feet
  • Location: Leeds/Bradford border, 185 metres above sea level, around 600 feet
2 hours ago, Flakey said:

Hi all! Seeing this thread inspired me to join the site as this is my single best snow event in 35 years.

Here in north London the snow set in at about 9pm and just got heavier and heavier through the night, with only very brief lulls. By dawn we had 18cms of level snow and drifts in excess of a foot.

The funny thing was, the streamer delivered far more to London than most expected; conversely, the ‘main event’, the following afternoon, delivered almost nothing. An anticipated area of heavy snow moving up from France turned out to be a light and patchy affair.

This event remains unrivalled for me in terms of the intensity and duration of the snowfall. A really special event for London.

The event that moved up from France was a shortwave forming in the flow, we often see them in long run easterlies (Feb 05, Feb 06, Feb 09, 2nd Dec 10). Unfortunately while they excite people and can produce very heavy falls on high ground (Leeds-Bradford airport got 6-7 inches in the 23rd Feb 05 and 3rd Feb 09 events) they often drag in too much north sea moisture and raise the dew points with not very heavy snow. Even here in Leeds only the event of 2nd Dec 10 produced (added 14cm to my existing snowcover for my second highest peak that day - 23cm) with 23rd Feb 05 giving 9cm, 06 producing sleet and the 3rd Feb 09 producing 1-2 inches). 

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Posted
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snowy Weather
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
2 hours ago, Steve Murr said:

One of the best events in memory - shame in melted pretty quick.

32cm in Bexleyheath Kent. Such a shame I wasnt living in New ash green at the time as my friend who lives at Culverstone which is a similar height reported nearer 50cm & the radio mast at West kingsdown has 2M drifts!

Hi Steve,

Do you remember us sitting up that Night and those amazing Radar Returns, and hearing the cracks of thunder?

I hope Paul Sherman doesn't mind but I've found his superb analysis of the Event and why it behaved differently, from other T/S Events, which I will now Post the link to. It's well worth a read:

 

Regards,

Tom.   :hi:

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Posted
  • Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland 20m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Snow,Thunderstorms mix both for heaven THUNDERSNOW 😜😀🤤🥰
  • Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland 20m ASL
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)

Still the heaviest snowfall in the London area since the bitter Feb 1991 spell. Had about 7 inches in NE London, although those south of the river got the most on this occasion. 

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Posted
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snowy Weather
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.

When I first joined N.W. in January 2005, it was as TomSE20.

The SE20 Postcode of S.E.London, is the area known as Anerley. Anerley is some 6 Miles (as the crow flies), S.W. of my current location of Lee SE12.

In my experience, I'd always found that "Thames Streamers" ran out of "puff", around the Bromley area, some 5 and a half Miles to the ENE of Anerley. So, I was amazed when my Daughter sent me the following images, below:

large.gallery_2739_1518_154025.jpg.ea2a036ff2930cadf45a18397956f184.jpglarge.gallery_2739_1322_49929.jpg.83b0f60dd1cca6dbd37d4adcf499087a.jpg

On the left, is Anerley Train Station looking NNE, on the Afternoon of Monday, 2nd February 2009.

On the right, my Daughter's car, outside her Maisonette in Anerley, showing a Snow-Cover of 6+ inches, on the same Day. That is a very substantial fall, for this part of S.E.London. 

As Paul Sherman's excellent article suggests, it seems this T/S intensified as it moved further WSW and away from it's "breeding ground", the Thames Estuary/North Sea.

The caption below, shows the normal range of a "Thames Snow Streamer":

image.thumb.png.4f6976726db32d65414f82fc58e6b2fe.png

As you can see from the Caption above, a "Thames Streamer" would normally dissipate well before Guildford in Surrey, at it's extreme Western limit but this was no normal T/S.

The YouTube Clip below of the Snowfall at Guildford, confirms the unusual distribution of the Snowfall, associated with this TS:  

Regards,

Tom.   :hi:

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2 hours ago, TomSE12 said:

Hi Steve,

Do you remember us sitting up that Night and those amazing Radar Returns, and hearing the cracks of thunder?

I hope Paul Sherman doesn't mind but I've found his superb analysis of the Event and why it behaved differently, from other T/S Events, which I will now Post the link to. It's well worth a read:

 

Regards,

Tom.   :hi:

Yes that was a cracker that event - I guess there are pros & cons with having radar these days- we lose some of the unpredictability however can be in prime position at the right time !

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Posted
  • Location: Stoke Gifford, nr Bristol, SGlos
  • Location: Stoke Gifford, nr Bristol, SGlos

Not the South East i know, but North Bristol, into Glos, across to SE Wales was in the 'sweetspot' that week. I think we had 3 or 4 snowfalls in space of a week or so. That week in Feb 09 broke a period of almost 10 years with v little snow events, in our locality.

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Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)

i was living in NW London at the time..apart from the Monday i think it was where it snowed pretty much all day..that's was kind of it from memory..definitely seen better before particularly 87 & 91..plus the cold didn't hang around too long and Feb 09 ended up being the mildest month of the winter.

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Posted
  • Location: Wimbledon,SW London
  • Location: Wimbledon,SW London

I will always remember that Sunday evening coming home from playing football, and it was blooming freezing!! Everything was very dry and there was a snow shower about 4pm that gave a light dusting everywhere. The air had that 'smell' about it when you just know something special is about to happen.

I remember seeing the snowclouds building out to the east and as the evening went on the showers became heavier and more frequent. Ended up with 10 inches snow in Wimbledon. 

Mind you, got a good amount the following two winters as well though that Feb 09 was a bit special. I think because it had been SO long since we had seen anything decent. 

Roll on the next one. 

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Posted
  • Location: Rotherhithe, 5.8M ASL
  • Location: Rotherhithe, 5.8M ASL

Rotherhithe just 2 miles east of tower bridge, with Canary Wharf just across river we aren’t used to much snow even lying, but sometimes on rare occasions it is spectacular .  

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Posted
  • Location: Broxbourne, Herts
  • Weather Preferences: Snow snow and snow
  • Location: Broxbourne, Herts

My wife at the time and kids were in Ireland on a mini holiday seeing a friend of hers. They were due back on the Monday so I had arranged to work from home on that day so I could pick them up from the airport. 

I remember the weather forecast for us was for around seven inches of snow to fall from about midday on the monday.  But I was following things on here and hoping for some action overnight before it arrived.   It started about 7pm sunday evening and then just went on and on!  It was terrific stuff and I was only sad that my kids weren't there to enjoy it as well!   Their flight ended up getting cancelled and they wouldn't get one back until the Thursday. With already 7 unforecast  inches having fallen, it was now nearing time for the main forcecasted snow to fall.   I arranged to meet my brother in a pub to get out and be part of this momentous day. But the forecast snow turned out to be more like sleet and barely added anything to the accumulation we already had. Actually got a little disappointed from then!  For the next couple of days snow was forecast in certain areas but always seemed to be missing us, and what was on the ground slowly eroded. When I picked the wife and kids up on the Thursday and drove back, they were amazed to see how much snow had fallen, but I was telling them it had been twice as much!  Still, there must have been a fair amount around still since when at work on the friday, I got sent the pic of "me" in the back garden that has been my  profile pic ever since! 

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Posted
  • Location: SE London
  • Location: SE London

Yes! that forecast for snow later in the day ended up been a massive anti-climax. But it was still a day to remember and look back on as to how different our weather can be here in the SE when conditions are favourable.

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Posted
  • Location: leicester
  • Location: leicester
2 hours ago, MAF said:

Yes! that forecast for snow later in the day ended up been a massive anti-climax. But it was still a day to remember and look back on as to how different our weather can be here in the SE when conditions are favourable.

Here in leicester we got the best of both events that day!!the really heavy snow showers packing in from the north sea in the morning left around 10cms!then a further round of snow from 2pm till 8pm that afternoon and evening which topped everything up!!looking at the radar that day i think from northampton southeast wards it turned into sleety mess until the cold air swept back around later on!!brilliant event!!

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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire

Here are a few pictures from that eventful day 2nd February 2009!  They were taken near Woking Surrey and I couldn't believe the amount of snow that fell overnight!  As others have said, the Monday afternoon event was a damp squib, but following the Thames streamer event, you couldn't really complain!

 

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Edited by Don
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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)

In my opinion, for our part of the world (the SE) these are the best set ups for snow. With a bitter easterly and convective snow showers/streamers from the North Sea there is rarely any marginality (unless you live on the coast), plus the snow can last for hours and is unpredictable. Can also be a pain though for those who just miss out as is always the case with showers and streamers. 

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5 hours ago, danm said:

In my opinion, for our part of the world (the SE) these are the best set ups for snow. With a bitter easterly and convective snow showers/streamers from the North Sea there is rarely any marginality (unless you live on the coast), plus the snow can last for hours and is unpredictable. Can also be a pain though for those who just miss out as is always the case with showers and streamers. 

Much better for those south of the river though. For places like north London and the Home Counties you need a straight easterly or even ESE. I think this happened briefly during the 2018 Beast, but could be wrong.

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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, Flakey said:

Much better for those south of the river though. For places like north London and the Home Counties you need a straight easterly or even ESE. I think this happened briefly during the 2018 Beast, but could be wrong.

True. Being on the eastern side of north London though we’ve tended to fare well here compared to places further north and west. 

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Posted
  • Location: Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
  • Location: Clacton-on-Sea, Essex

Yeah in Clacton these easterly steamers are really frustrating, you can stand on the beach and watch the snow showers forming over Southend and moving West. 

A gentle northeasterly often delivers as a convergence line forms on the boundary between warm sea and cold land.

Love the pictures, haven't seen snow for a while now and don't expect any before next winter.

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  • 1 year later...
Posted
  • Location: South East London (Bromley)
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, Heat, Thunderstorms, Wind
  • Location: South East London (Bromley)

Just stumbled across this old thread, it's been fascinating to read the accounts and see the photos even though I was too young to properly experience it. Luckily my parents took some photos which show the scenes in the Bromley area pretty well (if they upload here). Looks to me like we had at least 20-30cm on that deck chair. Anyway I hope everyone here is having a good new year, if anyone else discovers this old thread again like me! Cheers to a repeat of this in the near future

 

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Posted
  • Location: Shrewsbury
  • Location: Shrewsbury

I remember that week well:

Here we had a 1cm or so dusting on the Monday morning (which was the biggest snowfall for 2 years) and the news was full of reports of the snow in the London area. They also kept saying it would move west, and another snowfall would arrive that night. I heard 50cm in the SE mentioned on the radio at one point.

It started snowing here about 4pm, until about 7, left 5cm. Not what they got in London but it did at least snow here. 

Tuesday morning at 7 I started work (was a taxi driver in Shrewsbury then) and the snow had frozen but all except a few side streets were perfectly driveable. Put the news on the radio for news of massive snowfalls in the east that might be coming. 

A man in Edinburgh rang them and said it was pouring with rain there. Further south was forecast to be worst hit but I thought anything up there would be snow as well, that anywhere that missed anything would be down to hit and miss showers. 

It hadn't snowed in London again either, other callers said, though it hadn't rained there. It didnt snow here either, in fact it got warm enough in the day to reduce it to about 2-3cm though we kept full cover till Wed afternoon when it got even warmer in the day. Thurs, Fri and Sat it snowed a couple of cm overnight and thawed in the day, 3 days running. It was snowy that spell but it didnt seem to be properly cold? Not a complete fail like Feb 2005 but not Feb 1991 or Mar 2018 either. London did well at the start of it but that Monday night forecast was awful.

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Posted
  • Location: Hull
  • Weather Preferences: Cold Snowy Winters, Hot Thundery Summers
  • Location: Hull

I was in the Northampton at the time and we got a very good covering from the Monday showers. We then did well from a load of marginal snow events with some big dumpings of overnight snow. We must have had 20-30cm accumulations by the end of the week and these didn't fully melt until the 3rd week.

That was the deepest snow I had seen, until December 2010 came along .

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