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cheeky_monkey

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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire

All three of the snowfalls that I had in early 2009 in Exeter, when I had gone there for six months for the first time and didn't expect anything, especially as the locals told me that there had been no significant lying snow there since 2001.  On 2 February 2009, snow showers made it all the way across from the North Sea and then the trough brought further snow.  On 3 February 2009, although the snow soon melted, snow and hail showers kept firing in off the English Channel, while my parents up in Tyneside reported 3C and rain - it must be very rare for it to be snowing in Exeter but raining in Tyneside.  I didn't expect two inches of snow on 5/6 February 2009 either.  There was also an unexpected wet snowfall overnight 4/5 March 2009 which left about 70% snow cover at 0900 on the 5th.

In my days up in Tyne and Wear I remember going to bed on the evening of 21 December 2003 resigned to the showers from that northerly staying out in the North Sea, and temperatures were pretty marginal for snow, but I got woken up at around 3am on the 22nd by thunder and lightning out at sea while there was a full covering of snow on the ground.  Further snow showers followed taking the depth to about 4cm, and the snow stuck around through the next day before milder air moved in.

Although it didn't lie, I remember being very pleasantly surprised to see a rain shower turn to snow on Christmas Day 1999.  Later that otherwise largely snowless winter, the forecast on 16 February 2000 had been for sunny spells and wintry showers from a W/NW'ly so I didn't expect much, but a trough moved through and brought about 3cm of lying snow, with difficult driving conditions.

I also recall three unexpected out-of-season snowfalls.  The first time I remember seeing snow in April was on 18 April 1995 (although I had probably seen snow in Aprils 1989/90/91 and not been old enough to notice).  I was also surprised to see snow on 6 May 1997.  I had also been surprised to see snow showers from westerlies during early March 1995.  Those, though, were "unexpected" due to my limited experiences of meteorology back then.

Much later on in North Yorkshire I saw my first October snowfall on 26/27 October 2012, which left a dusting on the ground for a time, when I had expected the showers to stay confined to the east coast and be mainly of rain.

Edited by Thundery wintry showers
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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

The most notable not forecast events were..

18th November 2004 - Heavy rain turned to snow widely as a wave developed on the front

6th March 2006 - A suprise trough formed in the northerly.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
On 14/11/2020 at 11:09, Summer of 95 said:

That must have been 8th Dec 2017, it was a Friday. Definitely not Dec 2015 (mildest Dec ever by miles) and 2014 had only the snow on Boxing Day (which was only a cm or two and didn't affect anywhere near as many places as forecast). Can't think of any other date that fits.

Thanks. The snow I was thinking of was earlier than 2017. However your post reminded me that a week later, on Friday 15th December 2017, South Cheshire and Crewe woke to terrible ice which caused chaos on the roads and pavements throughout the morning. I recall almost being hit by a large branch which had parted company from its tree due to the ice, a scary experience! And walking around the town centre was nigh on impossible until lunchtime when the ice finally started to melt. 

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
On 15/11/2020 at 03:07, CreweCold said:

You're almost certainly thinking of December 2011. A very marginal NW'ly month which produced an out of the blue snow streamer. I remember it causing mayhem on the roads.

Friday 9th or Friday 16th December 2011 (more likely the latter), yes that is certainly likely, thanks CreweCold. 

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Posted
  • Location: Efford, Plymouth
  • Weather Preferences: Misty Autumn Mornings, Thunderstorms and snow
  • Location: Efford, Plymouth

For Plymouth, I'd go with around 14th February 1994, it's rare enough for snow to settle in City but I dont remember it's being a particularly cold February from memory.

Bad enough that I had to walk to work that morning. 

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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)
On 14/11/2020 at 06:22, Broadmayne blizzard said:

Definitely remember Feb 15th  1978 Cheeky monkey. Forecast to be sleet turning to heavy rain but became s real blizzard that brought Dorset to a standstill the next morning. The same thing happened on the night of the 16thFeb as well although as we now know these were simply the warm up acts for the legendary Blizzard of 78 on the 18/19th Feb.

Best Blizzard and deepest drifts (20 plus feet) of my life by a country mile.

 

On 14/11/2020 at 06:36, Jeremy Shockey said:

15th - 20th  Feb 1978 when i lived in Wimborne Minster , Dorset when i was 9 year old ..........outrageous and never to be forgotten. 10 foot drifts over the hedges and it seemed to snow for days and days and days on end. 

 

 

( edit just seen the post above from BB )

i remember this one in particular..walking home from school in a snorkel parker (remember those?) and getting soaked ..when i got home noticed a few flakes of snow in the rain..then it slowly turned to sleet then snow..watching the weather forecast that evening and them saying there might be some sleet on the tops of the moors yet it was snowing in spades where i was in Exeter thinking this cant be right..by morning the snow had cleared and there was a good 6-8 inches of lying snow..then the snow came back in the afternoon again in buckets much to the joy of my brother who birthday was on the 16th and we went sledding on mums baking trays and dustbin lids lol..this led up to the great blizzard at the weekend which blew drifts almost up to our back bedroom window ledge...happy days..now i cant stand snow

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

Unexpected snowfalls I can think of are April 5th 1989, January 6th 1994 and April 6th 2008.  Although the snowfalls on February 2nd 2009 and February 1st 2019 were not unexpected, the amount of snow was, particularly 2009!

Edited by Don
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Posted
  • Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
On 17/11/2020 at 14:50, summer blizzard said:

18th November 2004 - Heavy rain turned to snow widely as a wave developed on the front

I remember that one too, living in Sheffield at the time. I wasn't far from the sweet spot of that event according to the BBC (18cm in Hathersage).

I recall the morning being quite mild and taking my jumper off when walking about. It was a good job I brought it with me though, as I noticed the rain turning to snow that evening while in the city centre. Got back home to the western suburbs (on the edge of the Peak District) to about six inches of the white stuff. Me and my housemates went sledging on the nearby hill and rolled up the mother of all snow boulders. Fun times. 

 

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
7 hours ago, AderynCoch said:

I remember that one too, living in Sheffield at the time. I wasn't far from the sweet spot of that event according to the BBC (18cm in Hathersage).

I recall the morning being quite mild and taking my jumper off when walking about. It was a good job I brought it with me though, as I noticed the rain turning to snow that evening while in the city centre. Got back home to the western suburbs (on the edge of the Peak District) to about six inches of the white stuff. Me and my housemates went sledging on the nearby hill and rolled up the mother of all snow boulders. Fun times. 

 

Seem to remember that was a 24 hr arctic northerly epsiode, must have been a trough that moved down from the north, there was snow on the fells down to about 1000ft, suspect the precipitation would have been more intense further east and evaporative cooling would have aided snow down to lower levels, as often happens in northerlies.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

Talking of Sheffield reminded me of a very early Easter Saturday, 22nd March 2008 when I was at Hillsborough watching Sheffield Wednesday play Crystal Palace. With about 15 minutes to go, the snow (which had been threatening all afternoon) began to fall, and by the time the game ended, it was thick on the ground and on the roads and pavements outside the ground. And this in a city area. Another 15 minutes and I very much doubt that the game would have been played to a conclusion. As it was, we couldn't see the last minute Palace equaliser at the other end of the ground because of the driving snow, and had to rely on the groans from the home supporters to realise what had happened! Did we in the visitor's stand care? Er No!

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
On 17/11/2020 at 13:50, summer blizzard said:

The most notable not forecast events were..

18th November 2004 - Heavy rain turned to snow widely as a wave developed on the front

6th March 2006 - A suprise trough formed in the northerly.

 

21 hours ago, AderynCoch said:

I remember that one too, living in Sheffield at the time. I wasn't far from the sweet spot of that event according to the BBC (18cm in Hathersage).

I recall the morning being quite mild and taking my jumper off when walking about. It was a good job I brought it with me though, as I noticed the rain turning to snow that evening while in the city centre. Got back home to the western suburbs (on the edge of the Peak District) to about six inches of the white stuff. Me and my housemates went sledging on the nearby hill and rolled up the mother of all snow boulders. Fun times. 

 

 

13 hours ago, damianslaw said:

Seem to remember that was a 24 hr arctic northerly epsiode, must have been a trough that moved down from the north, there was snow on the fells down to about 1000ft, suspect the precipitation would have been more intense further east and evaporative cooling would have aided snow down to lower levels, as often happens in northerlies.

 

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Posted
  • Location: North Leeds
  • Location: North Leeds

Another one I had forgotten about was the 4th March 2018. It was just after the beast from the east had passed but we had another few inches of snow all morning on the Sunday. We were only expecting some sleet but we got about 5 hours worth of heavy snow.

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

A few have already mentioned early 1979. I can't remember the date exactly, but I'm positive it was a Saturday. I remember watching the weather after the 9pm news with a sinking heart as it talked of a front breezing through from the west and sweeping all the cold weather we had been enjoying back away to the continent where it had come from.  Any snow that started to fall from it was expected to turn very quickly to rain.  I watched the lampposts later that evening to catch what I thought would be the last bit of snow  and was disappointed to see it started off more as sleet than snow.  I could feel the temperature rising and hear the horrible drip drip drip of previous snow and ice melting off roofs and trees. I went to bed with a heavy heavy heart.  The next morning was a rare Saturday lie-in for me with no school football match. I was determined to make the most of it and not a little annoyed by my brother who was telling me that it was all white outside!  I could see nothing on the skylight window of my attic bedroom and was absolutely convinced he was on wind-up, just trying to trick me into getting out of bed.  Eventually I got up and went to look out of the window, more to get the horrible trick out of the way than anything else, and that's when I saw the winter wonderland outside!  One of the most significant falls I'd ever seen in my part of the world! Within minutes I was up wide awake, dressed, breakfasted and out in it!

An earlier memory was after Easter 1975 I think.  That was a Sunday and it was back to school the following day.  As usual I had left all my homework to do on that last Sunday evening.  Little could I have known that we were to get 5 inches of snow that very same evening and even got to hear "Hertfordshire" get mentioned in association with snowfall in the news later that night! It was all gone by the next morning but a great memory nonetheless, though the panic of that homework undone is also a co-existing memory! 

Nowadays, since being a part of this forum, my problem isn't unexpected snow arriving, but eagerly expected snow never materialising  on the 10th day !!  :) 

     

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Posted
  • Location: Sheffield
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and Thunderstorms
  • Location: Sheffield
On 21/11/2020 at 11:54, A Face like Thunder said:

Talking of Sheffield reminded me of a very early Easter Saturday, 22nd March 2008 when I was at Hillsborough watching Sheffield Wednesday play Crystal Palace. With about 15 minutes to go, the snow (which had been threatening all afternoon) began to fall, and by the time the game ended, it was thick on the ground and on the roads and pavements outside the ground. And this in a city area. Another 15 minutes and I very much doubt that the game would have been played to a conclusion. As it was, we couldn't see the last minute Palace equaliser at the other end of the ground because of the driving snow, and had to rely on the groans from the home supporters to realise what had happened! Did we in the visitor's stand care? Er No!

That would be the same storm that hit Barnsley we (Sheffield United) were playing them at oakwell Billy Sharp scored the winner and sent us all mad I was bang at the front and ended up on the pitch

My memory of that game was the storm that came from nowhere and literally blanketed everything you could not see the other end of the ground at one point.

If there is footage of the end of that game it will show how bad it was the drive home seemed to take eternity luckily it hit Barnsley late in the match had that been in the first half I think the game would have been abandoned it was that bad.

The drive back through Sheffield was absolute bedlam to say the least from what I can remember of it.

I remember an epic Snowfall during my childhood in the 90s in May in Sheffield cant remember what year it was though all I remember was how heavy and deep the snow was.

The heaviest unexpected large snowfall was later November into December 2010 when we had over 2ft of snow by recollection we was forecast around 5cm and ended up with close to 70cm of snow it was truly an epic snowstorm that is once or twice in a lifetime event for many never seen snow like that it just kept coming down and if my memory serves me right we were slap bang under a constant stream of showers that acted like lake effect snow would in America coming off the Great lakes it was a really narrow band of snow and where I was in North East Derbyshire we were slap bang in the middle of it.

Edited by Derbyshire_snow
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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
14 hours ago, Timmytour said:

A few have already mentioned early 1979. I can't remember the date exactly, but I'm positive it was a Saturday. I remember watching the weather after the 9pm news with a sinking heart as it talked of a front breezing through from the west and sweeping all the cold weather we had been enjoying back away to the continent where it had come from.  Any snow that started to fall from it was expected to turn very quickly to rain.  I watched the lampposts later that evening to catch what I thought would be the last bit of snow  and was disappointed to see it started off more as sleet than snow.  I could feel the temperature rising and hear the horrible drip drip drip of previous snow and ice melting off roofs and trees. I went to bed with a heavy heavy heart.  The next morning was a rare Saturday lie-in for me with no school football match. I was determined to make the most of it and not a little annoyed by my brother who was telling me that it was all white outside!  I could see nothing on the skylight window of my attic bedroom and was absolutely convinced he was on wind-up, just trying to trick me into getting out of bed.  Eventually I got up and went to look out of the window, more to get the horrible trick out of the way than anything else, and that's when I saw the winter wonderland outside!  One of the most significant falls I'd ever seen in my part of the world! Within minutes I was up wide awake, dressed, breakfasted and out in it!

An earlier memory was after Easter 1975 I think.  That was a Sunday and it was back to school the following day.  As usual I had left all my homework to do on that last Sunday evening.  Little could I have known that we were to get 5 inches of snow that very same evening and even got to hear "Hertfordshire" get mentioned in association with snowfall in the news later that night! It was all gone by the next morning but a great memory nonetheless, though the panic of that homework undone is also a co-existing memory! 

Nowadays, since being a part of this forum, my problem isn't unexpected snow arriving, but eagerly expected snow never materialising  on the 10th day !!   

     

Yes, like 2008 (described above), the Easter of 1975 was early, cold and snowy. In the South East, the heaviest snow was on Easter Sunday (as you suggest) and the evening service at our church was abandoned half-way through as a huge flash of lightning put out all the lights and sent the congregation trudging home through the fast-thickening snow and gathering gloom. Not a good way to celebrate Easter!   

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Posted
  • Location: chellaston, derby
  • Weather Preferences: The Actual Weather ..... not fantasy.
  • Location: chellaston, derby

i remember a polar low formed over the irish sea and tracked across the midlands bringing an unexpected steady snowfall in the winter on 83-4

and another in early 85? when incumbent very cold air refused to budge as milder air came in off the Atlantic and we had an inversion.. the mild air rose up over the cold air and the resulting precipitation was snow.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheltenham
  • Location: Cheltenham

I kept a detailed weather diary in the late 60's and early 70's living in Coventry. In this diary I used to summarise the weather forecast from the previous evening on the BBC. I will dig it out at the weekend as I can recall so many spectacular snow events that were not forecast. 

The downside is that there were so many occasions when snow was forecast but it never materalised!

If anyone is interested I will take a look and summarise some of the events.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
1 hour ago, Stevew said:

I kept a detailed weather diary in the late 60's and early 70's living in Coventry. In this diary I used to summarise the weather forecast from the previous evening on the BBC. I will dig it out at the weekend as I can recall so many spectacular snow events that were not forecast. 

The downside is that there were so many occasions when snow was forecast but it never materalised!

If anyone is interested I will take a look and summarise some of the events.

 

Surprise unforecast events always the best, sadly I can't remember the last time I awoke to a surprise carpet of snow on the ground. 

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Posted
  • Location: Lancashire
  • Location: Lancashire

February 6 1996... Fylde Coast

I'll never forget it. Started falling gently early afternoon and just became heavier and heavier.  By early evening my husband had to walk home because his mini was stuck in the snow outside work. We went for a walk and just took it all in, it was breathtaking. Never in my adult life had I seen such heavy snowfall and we are still waiting for a repeat episode! Once in a lifetime event I reckon, especially here. I think the Fylde Coast is the least likely place for snowfall in the whole of the UK! Keep hoping.... :)

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Posted
  • Location: Morecambe
  • Location: Morecambe

Couple I can think of. 

Whilst living in the NE, the forecasts for the 12th February 2009 was for a warm front to head eastwards without much rain on it but the front waved so it left SE Scotland and NE England having around 4 hours of heavy snow before turning to rain on the back edge. There's a video of it on YouTube with Rob McElwee admitting there was quite a bit more snowfall than they thought it would be. 

Another was down here in Morecambe a few years back. I remember the forecast was newsworthy as a ridge of high pressure was forecast to come in after a cold shot and there was talk of potentially breaking records for the UK lowest minimum but instead it was cloudy with heavy snow coming down from the North. i assume there must of been a shallow area of low pressure within the ridge and because the ridge came in slowly, the PPN was persistent but unfortunately not alot accumulated as it must of been quite marginal so surprising and frustrating at the same time. I think it was January 2017 but might be wrong on that but if you look at the pressure chart, you woukd never thought it was a chart that produced snowfall. 

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
11 minutes ago, snowflake said:

February 6 1996... Fylde Coast

I'll never forget it. Started falling gently early afternoon and just became heavier and heavier.  By early evening my husband had to walk home because his mini was stuck in the snow outside work. We went for a walk and just took it all in, it was breathtaking. Never in my adult life had I seen such heavy snowfall and we are still waiting for a repeat episode! Once in a lifetime event I reckon, especially here. I think the Fylde Coast is the least likely place for snowfall in the whole of the UK! Keep hoping....

Agreed, a memorable event. The snow actually started on the afternoon of Monday 5th Feb and, as you say, it got heavier and heavier as the afternoon went on, and continued into the 6th, finally stopping about 24 hours after it started. Disruption was inevitable and I had to walk to work on the 6th. By the Wednesday, the snow was starting to clear but it took until the weekend for it finally to disappear from the Fylde coast. It occurred because January 96 had been very cold and dry and an innocuous looking occluded front came in from the Irish Sea but then got stuck over a very narrow area of the west coast of Wales, Northern England and Southern Scotland. 

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Posted
  • Location: Lancashire
  • Location: Lancashire
1 minute ago, A Face like Thunder said:

Agreed, a memorable event. The snow actually started on the afternoon of Monday 5th Feb and, as you say, it got heavier and heavier as the afternoon went on, and continued into the 6th, finally stopping about 24 hours after it started. Disruption was inevitable and I had to walk to work on the 6th. By the Wednesday, the snow was starting to clear but it took until the weekend for it finally to disappear from the Fylde coast. It occurred because January 96 had been very cold and dry and an innocuous looking occluded front came in from the Irish Sea but then got stuck over a very narrow area of the west coast of Wales, Northern England and Southern Scotland. 

Yes, you are quite right it was the Monday afternoon, I think the 6th just sticks in my mind for some reason. We genuinely haven't had anything like that since and before that it was late 70's early 80's (from what I can remember). Fingers crossed we might just have a similar set up again this winter. You never know!

 

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Posted
  • Location: Medlock Valley, Oldham, 103 metres/337 feet ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, snow, thunderstorms, warm summers not too hot.
  • Location: Medlock Valley, Oldham, 103 metres/337 feet ASL
48 minutes ago, snowflake said:

February 6 1996... Fylde Coast

I'll never forget it. Started falling gently early afternoon and just became heavier and heavier.  By early evening my husband had to walk home because his mini was stuck in the snow outside work. We went for a walk and just took it all in, it was breathtaking. Never in my adult life had I seen such heavy snowfall and we are still waiting for a repeat episode! Once in a lifetime event I reckon, especially here. I think the Fylde Coast is the least likely place for snowfall in the whole of the UK! Keep hoping....

Yes my brother was living in Blackpool at the time & rang me to say his street was buried in about 40cm of snow. Obviously this was a time before you could instantly send pictures over by phone so I didn't truly believe him at first until he visited a few weeks later & showed us the pictures on his Nikon camera. It looked an extraordinary event for the coast.

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Posted
  • Location: halifax 125m
  • Weather Preferences: extremes the unusual and interesting facts
  • Location: halifax 125m
1 hour ago, snowflake said:

February 6 1996... Fylde Coast

I'll never forget it. Started falling gently early afternoon and just became heavier and heavier.  By early evening my husband had to walk home because his mini was stuck in the snow outside work. We went for a walk and just took it all in, it was breathtaking. Never in my adult life had I seen such heavy snowfall and we are still waiting for a repeat episode! Once in a lifetime event I reckon, especially here. I think the Fylde Coast is the least likely place for snowfall in the whole of the UK! Keep hoping....

1996 Cold (2.5C CET), wet with frequent snow, but also very sunny: parts of the southwest had the sunniest February this century. The lowest temperature for February 1996 was -14.5C at Camps Reservoir (Strathclyde) on 1 February. There was a blizzard in the northwest on the 5th: heavy snow in the NW of England and SW of Scotland. Lancaster was particularly badly affected. 13cm of level snow, with 2m drifts. The 6th was a cold day, -1.2C max at Hazelrigg (Lancs.). The duration of snow was from 5pm on the 5th until just before midnight on the night of the 6-7th.

A transcript of February 1996 from Trevor Harley

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