January and February 1983

[Weather-history]

January and February 1983 were very contrasting winter months. January 1983 was a very mild wet and sometimes a stormy zonal month, whilst February 1983 was a colder, frostier more blocked month

January 1983

A succesion of Atlantic systems moved through the country during January and any dry interludes were brief. It was mild with temperatures reaching 12C somewhere everyday for the first 9 days. There were brief colder interludes behind fronts and some snow showers were reported in the north especially on the 7th, where 10cm of lying snow was recorded in central Scotland. The coldest spell of that month came around the 19th and 20th, where the Azores high was further north than usual and this allowed a cold northerly to come across the UK with snow showers in the north and the east. There was also a frost with Gatwick recording a minimum of -6.8C The milder weather soon returned and it was particularly mild on the 27th with London recording 15.1C

February

There were severe west to northwest gales across the UK on the 1st and these introduced colder weather with some snow in the north. A ridge moved across the UK on the 3rd bringing clearer frostier weather. The next depression moved to the north of UK but instead of moving through Scandinavia it moved down to the Low Countries whilst a strong high moved into the central north Atlantic. This set up introduced a cold northerly to the UK and snow showers. As the high in the Atlantic began to tip towards the UK, the flow became increasingly easterly, so by the 8th many eastern counties were having snow showers with some heavy falls in Kent.

A front moving down from the north brought snowfalls and introduced a very cold northerly gale to Scotland with sub zero maxima. On the 11th, a warm front moving around the high and this introduced milder weather to Scotland and Northern Ireland but it was still colder to the south with snow showers and low maxima. Very gradually, the high in the Atlantic moved into Scandinavia and an easterly airstream was introduced to the UK.During the last of February, fronts moving into the SW introducing milder weather to the UK.

Data for the months

January 1983 CET: 6.7 (+3.1)

February 1983 CET: 1.7 (-2.0)

The drop in CET from January to February is the largest ever recorded.

January 1983 is 7th mildest January ever recorded

February 1983 is joint 44th coldest February ever recorded

January 1983 CET mean max: 9.3

February 1983 CET mean max: 4.3

January 1983 CET mean min: 4.0

February 1983 CET mean min: -1.0

Mildest CET daily maximum day in January: 13.3 5th

Mildest CET daily maximum day in February: 10.4 26th

Coldest CET daily maximum day in January: 5.2 19th

Coldest CET daily maximum day in February: 1.0 10th

Coldest CET daily minimum night in January: -2.5 20th

Coldest CET daily minimum night in February: -5.8 4th

8th-23rd February: 0.3

Heathrow

Jan mean max: 9.7 Jan mean min: 5.0

Feb mean max: 5.4 Feb mean min: 0.2

Jan air frosts: 3 Feb air frosts: 19

Jan falling snow: 2 Feb falling snow: 10

Elmdon

Jan mean max: 8.9 Jan mean min: 4.3

Feb mean max: 3.9 Feb mean min: -1.1

Jan air frosts: 3 Feb air frosts: 22

Jan falling snow: 4 Feb falling snow: 11

Manchester

Jan mean max: 8.4 Jan mean min. 4.3

Feb mean max: 4.7 Feb mean min: 0.1

Jan air frosts: 2 Feb air frosts: 18

Jan falling snow: 4 Feb falling snow: 12

[North-Easterly Blast]

February 1983 was certainly another cold winter month in the run from 1977-87. It began with severe gales and snow in some places followed by a few frosty days and by the 7th, cold Arctic air started to slide down as high pressure built in the mid-Atlantic and eventually the high pressure settled over the UK and maintained dry, cold and frosty weather until the 24th. It turned milder in the closing days. Of course it was not up there with the likes of the mid 80s and the late 70s, but it was nevertheless a very cold month overall, although not especially snowy for most areas, with the only snow being from around the 7th to 11th and heaviest around the 10th. There was little snow after the 11th as high pressure dominated the weather for much of the rest of the month keeping things cold, dry and snowless, although snow did lay on the ground for a good length of time in a number of areas.

CET Trackometer:

1. 2.9

2. 2.9

3. 2.8

4. 2.3

5. 2.1

6. 2.4

7. 2.4

8. 2.2

9. 1.9

10. 1.6

11. 1.5

12. 1.4

13. 1.3

14. 1.2

15. 1.1

16. 1.2

17. 1.1

18. 1.1

19. 1.1

20. 1.0

21. 1.0

22. 1.0

23. 0.9

24. 1.0

25. 1.1

26. 1.4

27. 1.5

28. 1.7 (1.675*C)