Weather-history

In Manchester, we had snow flurries on the Sunday from clear skies. I remember a televised football match Luton v Liverpool and they had to use an orange ball as snow fell and the ground became white. On the Monday, we had further snow showers and it was bitterly cold, that wind was perishing. We had a snow cover on the Tuesday morning but it was cloudy and dry. During the early hours of Wednesday we had snow and there was a covering and it snowed all morning in Manchester. The snow cover lasted until the weekend. There was further snowfalls on Wednesday morning of the 4th of March, woke up to a covering. There was further snowfalls on the 7th of March (this was just after the Zeebrugge disaster) and we had another covering. We miss most of the snow showers after mid-month but on the Friday, the wind had more of a westerly component and we got snow showers here in Manchester. I remember sunny bathing on Good Friday 1987 and a forthnight later it snowed on the Saturday of the May Day Bank Holiday weekend Winter 1986-87 (December-February) was a one trick pony really, December and February were fairly uneventful.

I remember this snowfall very well. Manchester had a snowfall during the Saturday afternoon (4th January) and it left a covering despite a predicted thaw. When I went back to school on the Monday, the playground was like an ice rink with a thin layer of ice on top. Great fun. It was cloudy Tuesday and was waiting for the predicted snowfall but it was slow coming and it wasn't until Tuesday evening it finally arrived in Manchester. Great watching the snow fall that night. The next morning, the snow had cleared but the predicted thaw never happened and it was a cold day (Wednesday) with snow cover. Can't believe, its 20 years ago now. According to Richard Wild's site, 20cm fell over parts of the Midlands. http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119860107.gif

Snow grains falling in west Manchester

Here's some photos I took of that snowfall http://www.net-weather.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=13823

6th of January 1994 is an interesting one as the forecasters were caught out by a heavy snowfall to the north and west of London that evening. I think 15cm fell around parts of Hertfordshire. Got the Times clipping of it, it was on their front page the next morning.

The chart for Tuesday at 0z http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119760102.gif Just shows quickly this system developed, explosive cyclogenesis by the looks of it.

When the year 1976 is mentioned whilst talking about the weather nearly everyone talks about the famous summer but there was a weather event that was far more deadly and is now largely forgotten, eclipsed by that remarkable summer. On the evening of 2nd January of 1976, a deepening depression moved across Scotland and deepened as it moved into the North Sea. The central pressure of the low at midnight was 968mb. On the SW flank of the low, there were severe gales with gusts up to hurricane strength. The severe gales were at their peak from 8Pm to 12am and the worst hit areas were a band from Ulster across the Irish Sea to Lancashire down through the Midlands into East Anglia. 100+mph gusts were recorded in this area, places like Wittering, recording a gust of 105mph, Cromer:- 102mph, Norwich:- 100mph and at Middlesborough, 114mph. The highest gust recorded was 134mph at Lowther Hill, Strathclyde. The severe storm caused an enormous amount of damage, every road out of Norwich was blocked with over 600 trees in the city itself uprooted. Nearly every county there was reported structural damage with fallen roof tiles and collapsed chimney pots, a newly built ferry at Liverpool was sunk and there were massive power failures. 24 people died as a result of the Great Storm of 1976. http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119760103.gif

-1C, very hazy, everything covered in rime

Had a light snow flurry in west Manchester during the night.

I remember snow showers drifting in from the Irish Sea early New Year's Day 1995. I think an area of snow then moved down through the Cheshire Gap into the West Midlands. Snow again causing disruption on the M11 again later that day!

Well it was the sunniest November on record for England and Wales and for the first time in recorded history for England and Wales, the sunshine total was sunnier than October. Possibilty of the sunniest November-December period on record. Is 2005 going to go out with a bang?

I'm kicking myself now for not mentioning why I originally posted this thread and that was because I had a gut feeling this was going to happen. There was something in the charts that told me an easterly was around the corner, it just felt as if this was going to happen.

#It was actually the highest full moon for a longer period of time than that. Since December 1950, infact.

Well here's 3 more 18th December 1940 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19401218.gif 20th December 1940 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19401220.gif ----------------------------------------------------------- 7th January 1966 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119660107.gif 12th January 1966 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119660112.gif ---------------------------------------------------------- 5th February 1966: Very mild, temperatures as high as 13C http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119660205.gif and the easterly sets in 12th February 1966 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119660212.gif ---------------------------------------------------------

Well here's a few more 17th February 1916 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19160217.gif 23rd February 1916 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19160223.gif --------------------------------------------------------------------- 7th January 1926 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19260107.gif 13th January 1926 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19260113.gif ----------------------------------------------------------- 7th December 1957 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119571207.gif 13th December 1957 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119571213.gif ----------------------------------------------------- 19th February 1962 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119620219.gif 25th February 1962 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119620225.gif

Here's a couple more 17th February 1916 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19160217.gif 23rd February 1916 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19160223.gif -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7th January 1926 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19260107.gif 13th January 1926 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19260113.gif ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted this on UKWW and TWO Here's something that might bring some Christmas cheer to our colder loving members Here are a series of charts that culminated in easterlies that looked as though they almost appear out of nowhere within a few days. So you never know, things may look bad but it can all of a sudden change, just like that. Chart for 11th of December 1997 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119971211.gif lead to this easterly on the 15th of December 1997 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119971215.gif -------------------------------------------- Chart for 30th March 1989 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119890330.gif lead to this easterly on the 3rd of April 1989 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119890403.gif -------------------------------------------- 5th January 1987 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119870105.gif lead to this easterly on the 11th of January 1987 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119870111.gif -------------------------------------------- 28th January 1986 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119860128.gif lead to this easterly on the 1st of February 1986 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119860201.gif ------------------------------------------- 15th February 1981 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119810215.gif lead to this easterly on the 19th of February 1981 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119810219.gif ------------------------------------------ 28th January 1976 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119760128.gif lead to this easterly on the 31st of January 1976 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119760131.gif ---------------------------------------------- 28th October 1980 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119801028.gif 1980 lead to this easterly on the 5th of November 1980 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119801105.gif --------------------------------------------- 25th January 1972 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119720125.gif lead to this easterly on the 29th of January 1972 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119720129.gif ----------------------------------------------- 27th January 1956 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119560127.gif lead to this easterly on the 1st of February 1956 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119560201.gif ---------------------------------------------- 29th December 1954 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119541229.gif lead to this easterly on the 2nd of February 1955 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119550102.gif --------------------------------------------------- After the winter of 1946-47, winter 1947-48 was a disappointment 13th February 1948 and it looks desperate http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119480213.gif lead to this easterly 18th February 1948 and winter 1947-48 ended on a wintry note for the southeast http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119480218.gif -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17th January 1947 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19470117.gif lead to this easterly on the 23rd of January 1947 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19470123.gif --------------------------------------------- 25th December 1928 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19281225.gif lead to this http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19281231.gif -------------------------------------------------------------- 26th January 1900 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19000126.gif lead to this easterly and the start of a prolong snowy spell: 30th January 1900 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19000130.gif ------------------------------------------------------ 19th November 1890 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp18901119.gif 26th November 1890 and the forerunner that would lead to the coldest December on record http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp18901126.gif

The winter of 1894-95 was severe with a CET of 1.2C. Here's a summary of this winter. DECEMBER 1894 December 1894 was mild for the most part and the first three weeks were dominated by SWlies. It was not until the last week, when the winds veered to the NW that colder weather arrived with frosts and snow showers to exposed areas. 18cm of snow was reported in Norfolk at the end of the month. The month had a CET of 5.1C JANUARY 1895 January started with cold northerlies and temperatures near freezing. Troughs in the flow gave snow showers to most parts and many places had a snow cover, Oxford had 8cm by the 6th. High pressure to the west moved across the UK and under the clear skies and with a deep snow cover, very low minima were recorded with -11C in parts of Norfolk and -18C in parts of the Highlands. Freezing fog formed and was slow to clear, a maxima of -5C was recorded at Ross-on-Wye in freezing fog. Milder air tried to push in from the Atlantic with a system and a heavy snowfall resulted across the UK with depths of snow of between 8 to 15cm being widely reported. The Atlantic air finally broke through and there was a thaw resulting in flooding in a number of areas. Temperatures were in double figures in the south, Kew recording 11C. The northerlies returned on the 21st with a low over the near continent and it's active cold front moving across SE England bringing thunderstorms, snow and hail. The northerlies persisted for a few days and conditions were severe over northern Scotland with heavy drifting snow and snow fell elsewhere exposed to the north wind. The month ended with a CET of 0.2C FEBRUARY 1895 At the end of January, high pressure was intensifying over Scandinavia and reached a pressure of 1049mb. A very cold easterly flowed across the UK and most of Europe and there were severe frosts with minima of -13C at Loughborough and -15C being recorded at Chester. Heavy snow showers came with the easterly with Yorkshire and Lincolnshire getting the brunt of the showers, South Shields was severely affected by 15 hours of continous snowfall forcing the closure of the shipyard. Small polar lows affected the west with snowfalls, Douglas on the Isle of Man recorded 20cm of snow. As the high over Scandinavia moved over the UK then came a phenomenally cold spell with exceptionally low minima. Temperatures of -20C or less were regularly recorded, -27.2C was recorded at Braemer on the 11th, the lowest ever UK minima, -24C at Buxton also on the 11th, -22.2C at Rutland. -12.7C was the mean average temperature for Wakefield in Yorkshire between the 5th and the 14th. Canals, rivers, lakes and ponds froze in the severe cold, the Manchester Ship canal was iced over, there were ice floes in the Thames and the Thames estuary itself was impassable because of ice. Many people died of hypothermia, there was mass unemployment as industries were closed by the conditions and coal supplies dwindled as transporting coal by canal or rail became impossible. As the high began to slip westwards, milder Atlantic air slowly encroached and temperatures crept above freezing for the first time in a couple of weeks, London had its first frost free night on the 21st for three weeks. Maxima temperature were finally returning to normal by the end of the month. The great cold spell finally ended. The CET for that remarkable February was -1.8C

Some photos here I posted on UKweatherworld http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk/forum/foru...=16893&posts=12

None of those charts look especially brilliant for Christmas Day, I wonder "how many winter is over" would have been posted. With the exception of December 1894, all those December were on the cold side however.

Famous charts from Christmases past 25th December 1906 A small low sweeps across the UK bringing widespread snowfalls during the Christmas afternoon and night. Heaviest falls in area between Manchester and East Anglia, where as much as 30cm fell in a few hours http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19061225.gif 25th December 1927 This was the start of the great Chrismas blizzard for the south. Many areas were cut off by Boxing Day with huge drifts. It intially started off as rain but turned to snow during Christmas night http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19271225.gif 25th December 1938 A deep covering of snow over many parts thanks to an easterly. High pressure over the UK on the big day http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19381225.gif 25th December 1961 A bitterly cold frosty Christmas. Sub-zero maxima http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119611225.gif 25th December 1962 The real start of the coldest winter since 1740 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119621225.gif 25th December 1970 Snowfalls on this easterly gave snowfalls and snow cover to the south http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119701225.gif 25th December 1981 Deep snowcover over most parts and widespread sub-zero maxima http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119811225.gif 25th December 1995 Deep snowcover in the north and east of Scotland http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119951225.gif ..and 25th December 1920 The highest maxima ever recorded (15.6C) for Christmas Day occurred on this day http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19201225.gif -------------------------------------------------------------- Most of the Christmas Days of the 1960s were cold and there was not one that was particularly mild. Infact, at least one station in the UK reported snow on the Big Day for Christmases 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1968. Christmas Day 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2004 all reported wintry preciptation falling somewhere in the UK. The worst decade of the twentieth century for White Christmases was the 1940s, it was almost completely snow free for the big day. The 1970s were not brilliant for White Christmases but Christmas Day 1970 puts the 1970s ahead of the 1940s. -------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the Christmas Day charts for the severe winter of 1894-95. http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp18941225.gif The severe winter of 1916-17 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19161225.gif The severe winter of 1928-29 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19281225.gif The severe winter of 1939-40 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19391225.gif The severe winter of 1946-47 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19461225.gif The severe winter of 1962-63 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119621225.gif The severe winter of 1978-79 http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119781225.gif Cold Winters and White Christmases rarely go hand in hand, this was certainly true for the 20th Century. Taking the winters of the 20th Century with a CET of less than 3C and here's what the weather was for those Christmases Winter 1916-17 CET 1.5 Christmas 1916 Low pressure was to the north of the UK and there was a westerly flow across the UK bringing sun and showers. Some wintry preciptation was reported with the showers Winter 1928-29 CET 1.7 Christmas 1928 was mild with a broad SWly airstream across the UK. Maxima temperatures were in double figures especially in the south. In the NW, there was rain and drizzle affected western coasts. Winter 1939-40 CET 1.5 Christmas 1939 was a cold Christmas with frosts but it was dominated by high pressure and there was no snowfalls Winter 1940-41 CET 2.6 Christmas 1940 was cold and frosty with freezing fog but it was dry as the UK was under a large high pressure Winter 1941-42 CET 2.2 Christmas 1941 was a cold Christmas with frosts but it was mostly dry with a large high pressure just to the west of Ireland Winter 1946-47 CET 1.1 Christmas 1946 was very windy with a deep low to the north of the UK bringing gales to many parts with rain or showers. Winter 1950-51 CET 2.9 Christmas 1950 was cold but the UK was under a col and many places were dry. Any snow cover on this day was due to snowfalls on previous days. Winter 1955-56 CET 2.9 Christmas 1955 was largely dry with a ridge moving across the UK and with average temperatures. Winter 1962-63 CET -0.4 Christmas 1962: Snow fell across parts of Scotland and northern England on the day itself but further south it was bitterly cold and dry. Winter 1978-79 CET 1.6 Christmas 1978 was wet across many parts of the UK. In the Northern Isles, it was cold with an easterly wind. Winter 1981-82 CET 2.6 Christmas 1981 was a cold and sunny day with a ridge over the UK. There was a deep snow cover over many parts Winter 1984-85 CET 2.7 Christmas 1984 was mostly dry with a ridge over the UK. Winter 1985-86 CET 2.9 Over England and Wales, it was largely cloudy with rain but colder air was reaching Scotland and there were some snow showers near the Scottish east coasts.

200th anniversary of the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon's greatest victory today. Fog was used to concealed Napoleon's true army strength from the Austrians and Russians. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Austerlitz

Well the second half of November was cold. A fairly remarkable Autumn it has to be said. Warmest September/October on record, 2nd warmest October on record. Probably the sunniest November on record, possibly November sunnier than October for England and Wales, which has never happened in recorded history as far as I'm aware.

Best November snowfall here since 1985. Heavy snow, a covering. Large flakes.

We've just had an exceptionally mild Autumn up to the middle of November. You can tell how cold a winter has been is how late do the daffodils blossom during the spring. The daffodils didn't blossom here until April after the winter of 1995-96, but during the winter of 1989-90, the daffodils were up and blossomed by the end of February 1990. I think during the winter of 1988-89, there was actually a shortage of daffodils for St David's Day (1st of March) because the winter was so mild that they had already blossomed and were dying off by the time, St David's Day had come.