January 1984

[Weather-history]

January 1984 was a zonal and sometimes stormy month, however there were quite a number of snowfalls during that month and it had a CET of 3.8C

On the 1st of January, there were snow showers across Scotland but it was milder to the south.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119840101.gif

The milder weather moved into Scotland on the 2nd but the cold NWlies were back on the 3rd with frequent heavy snow showers to northern parts.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119840104.gif

The milder weather returned on the 5th and 6th as fronts moved through the UK followed by another colder interlude on the 7th and the 8th.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119840112.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219840112.gif

The 13th was a very stormy day and a number of people loss their lives in the gales

The 14th and 15th were cold days with snow showers across Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England with drfiting over hills and maxima near freezing

On the 16th, a vigorous low move through southern Scotland, to the south of low, there was wind and rain but to the north there were gales and heavy snowfalls

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119840117.gif

Colder weather returned to all parts and a channel low brought snow and rain to southern parts

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119840119.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219840119.gif

To the north, the severe frosts and snowfalls continued, Grantown-on-Spey in the Highlands recorded a minimum of -23.6C on the 20th. The next low brought heavy snowfalls and blizzards to the north where depths of snow were reaching 30cm+ in many places, in the south it was rain but snow showers did follow afterwards.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119840122.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119840123.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219840123.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119840125.gif

The weather turn a little bit milder towards the end of the month

Data for January 1984

Coldest spell of the month: 19th-26th January: 0.7C

Coldest CET daily minimum: -3.6 20th January

Mildest CET daily maximum: 12.2 12th January

Coldest CET daily maximum: 2.0 20th January

Number of days with falling sleet/snow

Heathrow: 8

Cardiff: 12

Plymouth: 6

Birminghan: 12

Manchester: 13

Belfast: 22

Glasgow: 20

[Terminal Moraine]

Cumulatively, and perhaps rather surprisingly, January 1984 was the snowiest month here since I set up the station 30 years ago, just beating January 1979 and January 1986.

There was one major fall of 32cm on the 23rd and six lesser falls during the month.

Looking back at my records at a lower site which began in late 1963 I doubt very much if, here, there was any month from Dec' 1963 onwards to beat it.

T.M

[Thundery wintry showers]

Even Lancaster had a fairly snowy month, with the snowfalls of the 21st-23rd rivalling those of 5-7 February 1996, and the snow stuck around for six days there; not a common occurrence.

The North East was also heavily affected (15 days of lying snow at Durham).

[North-Easterly Blast]

January 1984 may have been colder than the zonal months we are getting nowadays and in recent years but the colder weather didn't kick in until the second half of the month. The first half saw fairly mild zonality with a couple of northerly topplers thrown in.

CET Trackometer:

01. 7.9

02. 7.6

03. 6.2

04. 5.6

05. 5.5

06. 5.6

07. 5.6

08. 5.3

09. 5.0

10. 5.0

11. 5.4

12. 5.5

13. 5.6

14. 5.5

15. 5.3

16. 5.3

17. 5.2

18. 5.1

19. 4.8

20. 4.6

21. 4.4

22. 4.2

23. 4.1

24. 4.0

25 3.8

26. 3.8

27. 3.8

28. 3.8

29. 3.9

30. 3.9

31. 3.8 (3.848)

Edited January 13, 2008 by North-Easterly Blast

[Norrance]

There was a noticable dfference North to South with more PM air affecting Northern England and Scotland. The average temp for Jan 1984 in Scotland was 0.3C. However it wasn''t the temperature that made Jan 1984 so memorable but the depth and intensity of the snowfalls, particularly from mid month onwards and into early February.

Kindrogan in Perthshire reported lying snow for 30 days in January and most northern areas had lying snow from the 13th. A memorable spell in a series of memorable winters.

[Terminal Moraine]

There was a noticable dfference North to South with more PM air affecting Northern England and Scotland. The average temp for Jan 1984 in Scotland was 0.3C. However it wasn''t the temperature that made Jan 1984 so memorable but the depth and intensity of the snowfalls, particularly from mid month onwards and into early February.

Kindrogan in Perthshire reported lying snow for 30 days in January and most northern areas had lying snow from the 13th. A memorable spell in a series of memorable winters.

I'd agree with that. Here, we were about on the 'balance point' between the persistently cold weather over the north and the milder weather to the south, with the extra altitude where I live tipping the balance in favour of snow rather than rain.

The mean for the month was 1.6c, only 0.8c below the 1971-2000 mean but snow lay on 24 days and fell on 21. There were 22 nights with air frost and the total rainfall was just short of 200mm. Cumulatively it was the snowiest month since I began keeping records in 1963 although several others ( Jan' 1979 and 1985 for instance ) have run it very close.

For variety and maintenance of interest throughout a whole month they don't get much better than Jan' 1984.

[Weather-history]

 

[Ladyofthestorm]

It's funny I should see this. We always think you should see snow from the east or arctic.   Nope this was a serious west based negative  NAO that came screaming in from Greenland. 

 

Oh boy have I got an epic childhood take to tell! 

[Sunny76]

For some reason this weather event doesn’t stick with me. I was too young to remember it probably, but I do have some memories of the hot summer of 84.

[Ladyofthestorm]

It was our first winter in the Highlands of Scotland. Dad got a job working as a teacher at Golspie High School and we lived in between Brora and Helmsdale on the main A9 at a place called Kintradwell. We didn't drive at the time and public buses were once a day. Mum and dad often walked the three miles into the village and mum cycled alot. 

Christmas 1983 had been a green affair. Some snow early December but that was it. There was flooding and alot of rain everywhere late December. 

January 2nd the wind switched NWLy , almost touching stormforce by mid morning. Extreme wind-chill, ice and very strong winds brought the pylons down by 9 am and the electricity off. We were lucky in that our coal fire central heating gravity fed. But we had no gas cooking stove. A young family .. 16, 10 and 8 respectively saw my dad cook mince and tatties on the open coal fire. Lol I still remember the black lumps of coal in it. 

Mum was in work in Brora having cycled (wind behind her) into the local petrol station.  With the electricity off and no way of the petrol pumps working mum sought shelter at some friends .. with her bike! 

Dad had been keeping the telephone line clear of ice by leaning out of my brother's bedroom and banging the line with a wooden handle.  Mum called to say she was heading home... But just outside the 40mph speed limit. Her progress was hampered and what ensued was a 35 minute walk turned into 2hours .

The wind strengthened with gusts in excess of 80mph, the mean wind speed was +50mph.  With it came the hard white pellets of snow. Graupal.  No soft flakes . It came down hard, and fast, turning the landscape very white very quickly 

Dad was beyond himself and eventually made the decision after an HR to go and get mum. He left instructions for my older brother  that if he wasn't back in 2hrs to call 999 and ask for the police. Dad found mum struggling back ( complete with bike) about a mile from home. Family reunited with much excitement. 

The snow continued through the day laying huge banks of drifts on the A9.  A train got stuck at Forsinard and there were loads of people properly trapped in vehicles on the. Ord of Caithness. 

We listened on local radio using my birthday present, a transistor radio, as the weather carnage affected the entire north of Scotland . 

The biggest shock came as the news declared that two hunting lodges were on fire in Strath Helmsdale ,  It transpired it was Arson .

Having prepared for a night of toast on the fire ,  the local Hydro electric boys appeared with an emergency gas stove at tea time. Having driven in an argocat! 

 

THe snow did relent slightly . Electricity stayed off till the 6th... My birthday was spend playing sledges on the drifts of snow. 

My worst living memory of a blizzard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sunny76]

39 minutes ago, Ladyofthestorm said:

It was our first winter in the Highlands of Scotland. Dad got a job working as a teacher at Golspie High School and we lived in between Brora and Helmsdale on the main A9 at a place called Kintradwell. We didn't drive at the time and public buses were once a day. Mum and dad often walked the three miles into the village and mum cycled alot. 

Christmas 1983 had been a green affair. Some snow early December but that was it. There was flooding and alot of rain everywhere late December. 

January 2nd the wind switched NWLy , almost touching stormforce by mid morning. Extreme wind-chill, ice and very strong winds brought the pylons down by 9 am and the electricity off. We were lucky in that our coal fire central heating gravity fed. But we had no gas cooking stove. A young family .. 16, 10 and 8 respectively saw my dad cook mince and tatties on the open coal fire. Lol I still remember the black lumps of coal in it. 

Mum was in work in Brora having cycled (wind behind her) into the local petrol station.  With the electricity off and no way of the petrol pumps working mum sought shelter at some friends .. with her bike! 

Dad had been keeping the telephone line clear of ice by leaning out of my brother's bedroom and banging the line with a wooden handle.  Mum called to say she was heading home... But just outside the 40mph speed limit. Her progress was hampered and what ensued was a 35 minute walk turned into 2hours .

The wind strengthened with gusts in excess of 80mph, the mean wind speed was +50mph.  With it came the hard white pellets of snow. Graupal.  No soft flakes . It came down hard, and fast, turning the landscape very white very quickly 

Dad was beyond himself and eventually made the decision after an HR to go and get mum. He left instructions for my older brother  that if he wasn't back in 2hrs to call 999 and ask for the police. Dad found mum struggling back ( complete with bike) about a mile from home. Family reunited with much excitement. 

The snow continued through the day laying huge banks of drifts on the A9.  A train got stuck at Forsinard and there were loads of people properly trapped in vehicles on the. Ord of Caithness. 

We listened on local radio using my birthday present, a transistor radio, as the weather carnage affected the entire north of Scotland . 

The biggest shock came as the news declared that two hunting lodges were on fire in Strath Helmsdale ,  It transpired it was Arson .

Having prepared for a night of toast on the fire ,  the local Hydro electric boys appeared with an emergency gas stove at tea time. Having driven in an argocat! 

 

THe snow did relent slightly . Electricity stayed off till the 6th... My birthday was spend playing sledges on the drifts of snow. 

My worst living memory of a blizzard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like an interesting experience. Not sure what the weather was like further south, but I did read about Christmas 1983 being really mild, around 15-16c in some areas.

[LetItSnow!]

On 30/12/2022 at 09:52, Sunny76 said:

Sounds like an interesting experience. Not sure what the weather was like further south, but I did read about Christmas 1983 being really mild, around 15-16c in some areas.

 

The Christmas to New Year period during 1983 was a balmy affair with unusually prominent heights to our south. 15-16C+ was recorded on multiple days during this time. Look at those deep reds!

[Sunny76]

3 hours ago, LetItSnow! said:

 

The Christmas to New Year period during 1983 was a balmy affair with unusually prominent heights to our south. 15-16C+ was recorded on multiple days during this time. Look at those deep reds!

Yes that is crazy isn’t it.

[Don]

1 hour ago, Sunny76 said:

Yes that is crazy isn’t it.

Back then I was more interested in my Christmas presents than stupid mild weather!!

[LightningLover]

@LetItSnow! These charts are really quite impressive (for the wrong reasons but hey ho!) 15c 850's, an extremely strong jet stream, and a high pressure with summer-like dam values! 

Edited December 31, 2022 by LightningLover

[Ladyofthestorm]

Could somebody put up the 500 and 850 charts for  the evolution of what happened to us over the  new year period. 

31st December

1st

2nd 

3rd 

4th 

 

 

[Ladyofthestorm]

Can you see how quickly it goes from a stubborn Bartlet high, positive NAO . Heights over Greenland and to the north non existent 

To something else very different