Comparing This Winter To Others

[Timmytour]

Tropical Storm Zeta formed at the end of December to complete a very busy Atlantic hurricane season. Not since December 1954 has a tropical storm developed so late.

Which got me thinking. If there was some similarity between the hurricane seasons for 1954 and 2005, could that also extend to a comparison betweeen the winters of 1954/5 and 2005/6?

Well, to be honest November and December 1954 were notable for wind and rain events and not, as far as I can tell, similar. But January 1955 caught my eye...

January. There was prolonged snow on the 4th; 15 cm in London was the heaviest fall there since 1947. There was more snow on the 13th, after an intervening mild spell. The 16th was a very interesting day: there was a blizzard over Lancs. and Yorks., with many snow showers over Scotland. "Operation Snowdrop" was instigated to provide air relief to cut off villages in the far north. Eskdalemuir had continuous frost from the 10th to the 15th. Snow also fell in London on the 16th, accompanied by "daytime darkness" which happened suddenly at 1.15 pm. It was perhaps precipitated by pollution interacting with the approaching cold front, as a SE wind carried polluted air to the Chilterns, where it became trapped beneath the warm air; when the wind changed to the NW, the polluted air was carried back again. A layer of polluted air 4000' thick quickly cut out virtually all daylight. From the 22nd the weather turned milder, for a while, until early February.

Now that would do me! And from what I've read on the forum, it seems to correspond with what some think might transpire.

As the winter went on to be the coldest and snowiest between the very severe winters of 1947 and 1963, and also included London snowfall in May, it would indeed be a lovely dream to think that a late forming hurricane had something to do with all this?

Any other theories on the possibilities of this winter resembling others?

[tugmistress]

Well I know nothing of trends or anything else, but i liked reading this just for fact alone Thank you.

It would be nice to think this winter has that potential, but i personally have the opinion of if it snows here thengood, if it settles then great and if it is deep enough to cause havoc yippee

it better already than most recent winters i have had to wear my flot suit at work already this year and i never wore it at all last year so that is a big improvement

Looking forward to seeing how this winter pans out with regard to your writings above

Thanks again

[let it snow!]

Well my meteorlogical knowledge adds up to slightly less than nothing :o , but certainly this winter 'feels' different. Genarally average or cool with cold interludes, as opposed to the usual generally average or mild with cool/cold snaps that we've had in recent winters. Surely a good sign, and more akin to some of the mid 90's winters that i remember (too young to remember the REALLY good years )