Blizzards of December 7th/8th/9th 1990 and January 1991

[millzzz]

When I was a wee nipper at the grand old age of 7, back in December 1990 (!), I can remember there being a huge overnight dumping of snow (approx. 15inches) in the Birmingham area. It started on Friday evening and stopped mid Saturday.

Looking through some old albums I also came across a photo taken in January 1991 with similar conditions. Can anyone remember the weather patterns for these events and where all the snow came from (continent or northerly flow?)?

If you have them, some photo's would be good too, especially from around the Midlands.

I have Google'd it to death and have found pretty much nothing. Many thanks in advance. :blink:

[Snowly does it]

When I was a wee nipper at the grand old age of 7, back in December 1990 (!), I can remember there being a huge overnight dumping of snow (approx. 15inches) in the Birmingham area. It started on Friday evening and stopped mid Saturday.

Looking through some old albums I also came across a photo taken in January 1991 with similar conditions. Can anyone remember the weather patterns for these events and where all the snow came from (continent or northerly flow?)?

If you have them, some photo's would be good too, especially from around the Midlands.

I have Google'd it to death and have found pretty much nothing. Many thanks in advance. :blink:

Well, Feb 7th 1991 saw a lovely dumping of snow from an easterly - is this the one you mean? If so, the charts are shown in the thread in my name below

Edited September 20, 2006 by snowmaiden

[shuggee]

Here's the three charts:

So it was a classic N'ly to start with caused by a strong extensive Greenland High extending far south into the mid-Atlantic, pulling down cold air over the UK. And it either that a vigorous depression moved in from the SW wrapping the cold air around itself - which moved up through the English Channel and settled over southern England, or a depression formed over central England and sat there. Classic synotpic event :blink:

[Polar Continental]

When I was a wee nipper at the grand old age of 7, back in December 1990 (!), I can remember there being a huge overnight dumping of snow (approx. 15inches) in the Birmingham area. It started on Friday evening and stopped mid Saturday.

Looking through some old albums I also came across a photo taken in January 1991 with similar conditions. Can anyone remember the weather patterns for these events and where all the snow came from (continent or northerly flow?)?

If you have them, some photo's would be good too, especially from around the Midlands.

I have Google'd it to death and have found pretty much nothing. Many thanks in advance.

Hi millz,

This set-up may have produced the snowfall you remember, although low ground probably would have seen sleet rather than snow as the 850's were only around -5c, on the other hand if precipitation were heavy, snow would have been quite possible over low ground as well.

I certainly remember a similar event around that time, I was walking home in the cold rain, late in the night from a Christmas party, and sad anorak that I am remember looking up at the lamp posts on the way home and noticing the odd blob of sleet mixed in the rain.

On waking the following morning I was quite surprised to discover a huge dumping of snow, which must have been at least 9 inches deep. The snow continued to fall heavy all day on that Saturday; the temperature was hovering around freezing all day in a near gale force wind, the snow was to wet to drift, but the very wet snow easily coated trees and more interestingly overhead power lines, later that day considerable disruption occurred as thousands of power lines collapsed under the weight of ice and snow. Thousands of homes lost their power and it was many weeks before some outlying areas were reconnected. :o

Paul :

edit lol Shuggee beat me to it.

Edited September 20, 2006 by Paul Carfoot

[Terminal Moraine]

I remember the snowfall of December 1990 vividly. We had a tremendous blizzard here, almost 40cm of level snow with a E/NE wind gusting to 67 mph and averaging 40-44 mph. Visibility was nil at times and the snow was as fine as talcum powder, blown into huge drifts by late afternoon.

The temperature was around -2c for most of the day but rose to around freezing overnight when the snowfall, and the wind, abated.

T.M

Edited September 20, 2006 by Terminal Moraine

[millzzz]

Thanks very much to all. I remember looking out of my parents bedroom window to see the massive snowflakes falling very heavily and swirling around every so often, but mainly from a north-easterly direction.

Has anyone got any pictures they could share from where they were at the time?

Edited September 20, 2006 by millzzz

[millzzz]

After trawling through the gallery:

http://www.netweather.tv/forum/index.php?a...=si&img=587

[HellyHanson]

I dont seem to remmber this event well but my parents talk about this one alot. It was probably the best snow event for the midlands in the last 25 years. I remember the snow being very wet and stuck instantly to trees and power lines. We were without power for about 48 hours. We had about 12-13" of snow. I remember the snow lasting for about 1-2 weeks even though there was a thaw.

[Thundery wintry showers]

The snow event of 8 December 1990 must have been very marginal, as Durham for example did not report a day with lying snow at 0900 that month. It was apparently very wet snow at low levels, but fell heavily enough in the Midlands to settle- a very "sticky" type of snow leading to major disruption. Lancaster had wet snow but, as is usual for that location, it provided nothing more than a dusting there.

Not sure about January 1991, I haven't heard of any snow events in the Midlands that month. However, there were severe snowstorms in northern Scotland from, unusually, SW winds around the 3rd, and around the 6th-11th there were polar maritime W/NW'lys that might have brought marginal snow events to the Midlands.

February 1991 was a different matter; an easterly flow that was both cold and unstable dumped large amounts of snow cover over much of central and eastern Britain, there was even a bit in many western areas.

[Snowyowl9]

Not sure about January 1991, I haven't heard of any snow events in the Midlands that month. However, there were severe snowstorms in northern Scotland from, unusually, SW winds around the 3rd, and around the 6th-11th there were polar maritime W/NW'lys that might have brought marginal snow events to the Midlands.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119910103.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219910103.gif

I seen what you mean about Scotland having snow from SW gales it was cold here that day with some rain/sleet.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119910104.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219910104.gif

As far as this day it dropped to -2 that night and we had a covering of snow with a max of about 3c.

S9

Edited October 7, 2006 by Snowyowl9

[Rustynailer]

Not sure about January 1991, I haven't heard of any snow events in the Midlands that month. However, there were severe snowstorms in northern Scotland from, unusually, SW winds around the 3rd, and around the 6th-11th there were polar maritime W/Nellys that might have brought marginal snow events to the Midlands.

February 1991 was a different matter; an easterly flow that was both cold and unstable dumped large amounts of snow cover over much of central and eastern Britain, there was even a bit in many western areas.

My spell check auto corrected your quote.....W/nellys

Not sure if this is Jan or Feb 1991, I took it from my roof window at that time

it shows the cliff and shore from Shanklin towards Sandown. It was below freezing all day when i took it, i had a wood burner in that room(!) It was roaring, that's what kept the snow of my roof. We had a burst pipe which i had just mended, spotted whilst still frozen, thank god i was thawing the rest

The beach had a good few inches of snow, it was my first experience of snow next the sea as i had never lived near it before, quite surreal at the time

Edited October 7, 2006 by Rustynailer

[Tim Brear]

Doing some reminiscing this evening (as you do at the end of a decade!). I do have a couple of pictures from December 8 1990 - Shirley, West Midlands which show the depth of snow. From what I can recall it was in excess of 15 inches by the late afternoon. I would be happy to post these pictures.

Tim Brear.

[Blessed Weather]

10 hours ago, Tim Brear said:

Doing some reminiscing this evening (as you do at the end of a decade!). I do have a couple of pictures from December 8 1990 - Shirley, West Midlands which show the depth of snow. From what I can recall it was in excess of 15 inches by the late afternoon. I would be happy to post these pictures.

Tim Brear.

Hi Tim. A warm welcome to the forum. Yes, please do post your pics. If you've not done this before, use the 'Choose files' option to locate the pics on you laptop and select then press OK.