The severe winter of 1928-29

[Weather-history]

The winter of 1928-29 is the 5th coldest winter of the 20th century with a CET of 1.7

This winter is often forgotten as no one month was intensely cold as in other severe winters but

the cold was rather persistent.

December 1928 quickly became cooler after the first day as compared to November which was a mild month with a CET of 7.6 (+1.4) The first cold shot of the winter came on a northerly on the 7th with extensive frosts and local snowfalls

High pressure built over Scandinavia and this brought a short easterly spell just before mid-month

This didn't last as the Atlantic pushed in from the west and it became temporarily milder although there were occasional frosts

There was no white Christmas 1928

Pressure rose over Scandinavia and it became colder again but it was not especially cold and the high

pressure moved closer to the Uk in the New Year

High pressure dominated the first half of January and it was mostly dry, cold but not severe.

The high pressure retrogress into the Atlantic and this allowed a northerly flow and snow showers to push southwards

High pressure was there or there abouts and it was coldish but not severely so.

The last couple of days of January and the start of February was very mild and in places exceptionally. Maxima were into double figures

due to the fohn effect, 17.2C at Aber.

However the early taste of Spring was not the heralding of a mild February but instead it lead to the severest and coldest spell

of the winter

February 1929 was a very cold month with a CET of 0.4. It was infact, the coldest February since 1895. . Gradually through the month, high pressure began to build over Scandinavia and the coldest and snowiest spell of the month came around mid month as Atlantic systems tried to displace the Scandinavian High.

They only succeeded in drawing a cold SEly flow from the continent.

As the fronts came against this cold flow, the preciptation fell as snow across many western parts of the mainland,

the worst hit areas being the west Midlands and Wales, where several inches of lying snow was recorded.

A very freakish fall of snow occurred around the SE corner of Dartmoor, where 6 feet of snow fell in 16 hours, the heaviest snowfall in such a short space of time ever recorded in the UK.

Temperature wise, it was bitterly cold with sub zero maxima during this period of time and there were severe frosts at night with minima close to -20C.

For the rest of the month, high pressure generally dominated the weather but without the same intensity of the cold although it did become colder again at the end of the month

Data for winter 1928-29

December 1928: 3.4 (-1.1)

January 1929: 1.3 (-2.4)

February 1929: 0.4 (-3.7)

First half of January 1929: 0.9

Second half of February: -0.9

Coldest spells of winter

5th-28th January: 0.6

11th-19th February: -4.6

26th Feb-2nd March: -1.8

Coldest CET day of the winter: -3.9 15th February

Mildest CET day of the winter: 11.7C 30th January

Coldest CET night of the winter: -12.5C 14th February

[kippure]

15th january sort of looks like an omega block forming??? Them were the days....

Edited November 8, 2006 by kippure

[Weather-history]

From the Times of 15th February 1929 during the height of the intense cold spell.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Mr_Data

[Weather-history]

[johnholmes]

lovely thread again Mr D and a relief for it not to be one I actually lived through!

[Weather-history]

From the 16th February edition

The Times editorial

Some photos

Edited October 24, 2007 by Mr_Data

[Weather-history]

Now that's interesting.

Note the letter to the editor at the bottom of the editorial. They were still recognising that -30C or so at Blackadder in December 1879 as the lowest ever minimum in the UK.

As we know that is now discounted.

Edited October 24, 2007 by Mr_Data

[Weather-history]

Note how the editorial mentions about "modern frosts" rarely give us more than "a cold snap" Also talks about frosts of old being harder.

Its like what people are saying today!

[acbrixton]

Note how the editorial mentions about "modern frosts" rarely give us more than "a cold snap" Also talks about frosts of old being harder.

Its like what people are saying today!

Indeed so too with the lack of preparation for severe weather. More striking, to me, was the assertion that central heating was unnecessary for normal winters.

regards

ACB

[Weather-history]

Indeed so too with the lack of preparation for severe weather. More striking, to me, was the assertion that central heating was unnecessary for normal winters.

regards

ACB

There hadn't been a colder January-February period since 1895 for the CET. It was even colder than January-February 1917

February 1929 was the coldest month between February 1895 and January 1940.

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Now that's interesting.

Note the letter to the editor at the bottom of the editorial. They were still recognising that -30C or so at Blackadder in December 1879 as the lowest ever minimum in the UK.

As we know that is now discounted.

Why ?? What is it now ?

"Experts give very little hope that the weather may become warmer" - Oh what joy, just imagine !!

[Weather-history]

Table of data from February 1929

A comparison between February 1895 and February 1929

Some more data on the very cold spell of February 1929

Hereford (maxima)

12th: 26F

13th: 26F

14th: 23F

15th: 23F

16th: 30F

17th: 27F

18th: 35F

19th: 34F

20th: 37F

London SE 13 (maxima, minima)

12th: 24F; 14F

13th: 24F; 11F

14th: 25F; 13F

15th: 26F; 6F

16th: 27F; 21F

17th: 25F; 16F

18th: 33F; 9F

19th: 31F; 23F

[hugogo]

Temperatures reached record lows accross much of Europe that year in february with -26.0 in Berlin, -27 in Prag, -31.0 in clermont Ferrand in France, and un to -30 degrees in centrale Europe. even in western France, temperatures dipped to -19.0 degrees in Rennes. The monthly average reached -10 degres to -15 degres over much of central and eastern Europe. The frost was still exeptionally intense during the beginning of march 1929, with temperatures fallin under -10 degres celsius in Eastern France, and -20 in Eastern Europe as close as Eastern Germany.

This was on of the coldest winters of the 20th century over Europe with 1940 and 1942, and the worst february frost with 1956.

[Weather-history]

 

[Weather-history]

Janaury 1929