1947 - The Winter In Essex

[Paul Sherman]

November and December had been rainy and Mild at the end of 1946, as 1947 dawned it was still relatively mild and nothing looked like changing until late in the Evening on Sunday 19th January when the wind swung into the East and the temp dropped to 3c 37f. The next few days saw the wind still in the east quadrant with a few showers speckled around the east facing coasts. The winds swung North-Easterly on Thursday 23rd and plenty of Snow showers fell across the region, by now the temp was not getting above freezing. By Saturday 25th the wind went back into the east and got a lot stronger, by Sunday 26th a local weather observer said the east wind had got "Spiteful" This wind was now blowing at Gale force from the east and the snow was extremely heavy. By now the tidal reaches of the River Blackwater had started to freeze up and many inland rivers were completely iced thick. Drifts from wind blown snow had got up to betwen 6-10 feet deep around the Clacton area.

By Tuesday 28th the overnight low had fallen to -15c and intense snow showers were depositing 2" of snow within 15 minutes. At 6pm on Tuesday the temp in Central London was an incredible -9c. By the morning of Wednesday 29th another 5" had been deposited and Essex recieved regular dumpings of snow for the next 9 days until 7th February. The sun had nopt appeared for nearly 2 weeks in places and parts of North-East Essex had a foot of level snow (Undrifted). Worse was to come with the bone chilling nights between the 11th and 25th Feb when the Mercury did not get higher than freezing day or night, Halstead reported -16c on Valentines Night. By now the Sea had froze over at Southend. By the time March came the days were cold and sunny but still freezing. During the week of 1-5th March the east wind again got to Gale force with exceptionally heavy snowfall. Then something happened on Saturday 8th March the wind swung to the South-West and by Sunday 9th March 8c was reported widely across Essex and rain fell in the evening. I would have thought much of Essex folk had sighed a huge sigh of relief but winter had a few more stings in her tail. By Tuesday 11th March the temp had gone back to 0c and freezing rain left a varnish of lethal ice over all road surfaces. By Thursday 13th Temps had again recovered to 9c, but the winds were due to turn Northerly and by the time Saturday 15th Dawned another 5-6" had been deposited from a Northerly Gale. Finally the snow abated but the weather threw one last insult at the people of Essex as an Atlatic storm roared in with winds up to 98mph. What a Winter Eh??

The Following Summer by the way was a Scorcher

Paul Sherman

[Polar Continental]

Thanks for putting that in Paul, a great read from an incredible winter. :blink:

Regards

Paul

[johnholmes]

yes a good read, this is another one to try

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gesc_b/Pages/

regards

John

[frogesque]

What can I say?

I was born in 1947 but I arrived with the summer heatwave. Mum had to struggle through that winter while pregnant, little or no fuel, Dad still in Germany and strict rationing. Times were really tough, many folk had housing damaged or destroyed by the blitz and that winter was a really cruel blow for them.

[johnholmes]

great narrative Paul but how the heck, seeing what age you are, did you do a daily narrative?

I was old enough to actually be part of it, I could probably just about write by then, well print I suppose!

Now we have OON with smiley faces as well.

I really begin to despair of this site, Paul, do something please?

regards

John

[Paul Sherman]

John, Forgot to say this is an extract from a Xmas Present I got called "Essex Weather" There is one for every county in the British Isles, the book is crammed full of every event in Essex from 1880 with many pictures.

Paul Sherman

[johnholmes]

John, Forgot to say this is an extract from a Xmas Present I got called "Essex Weather" There is one for every county in the British Isles, the book is crammed full of every event in Essex from 1880 with many pictures.

Paul Sherman

hi Paul

That sounds fascintaing, but cannot find one for Derbyshire, my home county. Can you give me a reference please to see if there is one, address, web site, tel No??

many thanks

John

[Paul Sherman]

John when I get home tonight I will dig the book out and give you the Publishers names. I do know that they have one for every county of England.

Paul Sherman

[i luv snow]

hey Paul, i too was looking for a Suffolk one and couldnt find it, however i did find one called The Norfolk and Suffolk book, but it dates from 1993, just wondered if yours was from that time, or if the essex one was more recent?

[Paul Sherman]

ILS, The last entries are from the floods of 2000, so this is a much more updated version. The 1st dates in this book are from 1880. I will post the winter events from 1890-1899 tonight, you will not believe the weather they got in those days with Ice Cricket matches and Ice Skating races from Maldon to Chelmsford (9 Miles) along the River Chelmer. That section is entitled "A Decade of Ice & Snow" . I know the updated versions exists as a Poster from Norwich last night said he had the Norfolk and Suffolk Books.

Paul Sherman

[i luv snow]

ok, many thanks Paul- that book certainly sounds very interesting!

ps anyone looking for one for their region, this page may hekp:

http://www.frogletspublications.co.uk/weather.htm

although from what i cna see ther eis only a 1993 edition of the norfolk and suffolk one, unfortunately- although it shows a lot of other counties books are more recently updated, the one for this area sadly hasnt, still the 1993 one should prove to be very interesting never the less

Edited January 5, 2006 by i luv snow

[Paul Sherman]

John for your info, as above post

Publisher :- Froglets Publications

Brasted Chart, Westerham, Kent TN16 1LY , TEL 01959 562972 , FAX 01959 565365

Written by Ian Currie, Mark Davison & Bob Ogley

Hope this helps

Paul Sherman

[johnholmes]

thanks Paul, will try it, although not too optimistic, as umpteen trawls for anything in the Derbyshire area have so far revelaed zich.

Thanks again will try the names

regards

John