What's the most intense snowfall you've seen?

[Derecho]

Doesn't have to be in the UK but for me I'd probably say 2 events. First was in January 2010 in Hull, the winds turned easterly a third of the way through the month. One evening we got a very heavy snow shower around the rush hour that settled very quickly and caused chaos on the roads. It was impressive how quickly it built up.

The other was very brief but in January 2021 in the Chilterns late on in the month, I saw huge snowflakes for about 5 minutes but the heaviest snow was further south. If that snow lasted we would have got a big accumulation.

As you can tell I haven't come across many good snowfall events and most of the big accumulations I came across were long drawn out events of steady snowfall, I'm sure older members will have some better stories 

[Beverley Lass]

Oh I so wish I could remember the dates.
It may well have been the winter 1982 into 1983
I was in the Midlands.  Went to bed with nothing, woke to
9" of laying snow.

B.

[rustle]

Going back a long way, all of december 1981 was freezing. (I think until 2010 it was coldest on record). Anyway on Sunday 13th a blizzard set in around dusk. It was a proper whiteout of powdery type snow. Nobody in their right mind went out, but I went to the pub to share my excitement with some other hardy souls. About a foot of snow greeted Monday. The snow stayed all month!

[Metwatch]

I already did a similar thread last winter, late December 2020 here for the heaviest rate

Edited November 22 by Metwatch

[Polar Maritime]

09/10 here, A blizzard set in for nearly a week. Had a job to even breath when taking the dogs there was so much snow in the air.

[stodge]

Denmark December 1981.

I was at a folkehojskole (look it up if you're bothered) south of Aarhus (Odder by name) and I remember looking out of the window on a Monday afternoon and seeing snow fall like I've never seen.

Next morning, trains and buses all running normally...

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 stodge How many inches?

[cheeky_monkey]

either Feb 1978 in the UK or Jan 2011 here in Edmonton..also an honourable mention to Dec 2013 when i was living in Calgary 

[MP-R]

 cheeky_monkey Were you living in Exeter in 1978?

[cheeky_monkey]

 MP-R yep my mum is from Exeter we moved there from Essex for brief period from the end of 1977 - 1981

[Don]

2nd February 2009.  Almost 10 inches of snow overnight.

[Derbyshire_Snow2]

Boxing day 2014 caused chaos in Sheffield it was that heavy within minutes the ground had gone from green to white and the roads had turned to pure ice. 

Also recall intense thundersnow event in the Peak District that I got caught in that was the heaviest snow I had seen since my child hood winds were blowing 50-60mph and it was difficult to make out where the road was. 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

not seen any! but stands out 3rd Feb '94, why schools were not closed I don't know

similar setup to today only the snow/cold air was much further south

[Iceaxecrampon]

March 1990. Loft Crag (Langdale) solo 2237ft

3pm.
 

A bit dark. 
 

I regretted being there - the foolishness of youth. 

[Rush2019]

 Iceaxecrampon Now that was indeed character building matey bobs

[A Face like Thunder]

5th - 6th Feb 1996 at Blackpool. The well-documented West Coast snowstorm. 

White Christmas 1970.

27th Dec 1961, Jan & Feb 1963, Surrey

December 1981 - several memorable snowfalls, Surrey.

Late snow - 5th April 1989, when I got lost in a whiteout on Kingswood (Surrey) golf course. Scary! 

[Summer8906]

 Iceaxecrampon Definitely 1990? I ask as that month was generally dry and very warm. I guess there must have been cold over the north at one point but not further south.

1 hour ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

not seen any! but stands out 3rd Feb '94, why schools were not closed I don't know

Definitely 3rd Feb? I don't remember any cold in Feb 1994 until around the 13th.

Edited November 23 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

I can't specifically remember any notably intense snow but the thickest cover was probably January 1987.

That said I did take a day trip to NW Sussex in January 2010 and the snow was very thick here - considerably more impressive than on the south coast.

[DeepSnow]

2010 in Bridgend, South Wales where I lived at the time saw some of the heaviest falls and blizzard/near white out conditions I've see. However Feb 2018 storm when I was working in Barry, saw some very intense snow with huge flakes that resulted in 2ft of snow over 24hrs. Unfortunately when I left work after 5mins of being there due to the snow and went back to Bridgend, it was nowhere near that heavy or bad.

I fear it would take an absolute miracle to see snow like feb 2018 storm in these parts again.

[Iceaxecrampon]

 Summer8906 Maybe not Hampshire. But definitely Cumbria at 2000ft 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

 Summer8906 Aye 3rd Feb, snow to rain event

[Summer8906]

 Iceaxecrampon OK fair enough. I'd have guessed that dry warm anticyclonic weather in the south would translate to mild conditions in the north but there must have been one or two short-lived arctic outbreaks.

 I remember Atlantic 252 OK thanks for that. I have to confess I have no recollection of that event at all, probably no snow in the south but I don't remember it being even a marginal event or even producing a short-lived 24-hour cold snap in advance of the low. (I lived in the Bath/Bristol area at the time, not on the south coast). Just remember the first 10 days of Feb 1994 being mild, wet and windy!

Edited November 23 by Summer8906

[I remember Atlantic 252]

 Summer8906 was a setup that reminds me of todays event for the N/E, my best snow was 19th Nov '96, but didn't get the snowfest that the north did on 24th, just a bit of wet snow then milder

[Iceaxecrampon]

 Summer8906 Then again. It could’ve been late February!
I didn’t archive. I remember taking one photo (non Digital)  I was more concerned about survival and getting down. 

[Summer8906]

 Iceaxecrampon Fair enough!

I guess it could have been this, looks like March did open at least with a potent northerly outbreak (which I have entirely forgotten):

 

Edited November 23 by Summer8906