March 1965

[Weather-history]

March 1965 was an interesting month with record breaking minima at the start of the month and by the end record breaking maxima. The overall CET for the month was 5.2

The month began very cold and wintry with snowfalls and under clear skies, slack gradients and a snow cover, there were severe frosts at night with a minimum as low as -21.7C being recorded in Denbigh on the 3rd.

A low pressure sank southwards across the UK and this brought heavy snowfalls to many areas and blizzards to some areas in a strong easterly wind. High pressure began to build across the country on the 7th and there was a thaw as temperatures slowly recovered, indeed by the 11th, it had become mild as southerly winds were pumped up across the UK.

This regime lasted until the 16th, when the Atlantic systems finally overcame the high pressure over central Europe and introduced a westerly to the UK. The weather was fairly unsettled with rain or showers which turned wintry in the north on the 19th.

A battle developed across the UK between a high pressure over Greenland and a low pressure to the west of the UK. Cold air dominated Scotland, whilst further south, the milder air dominated and along the battlezone, there was rain/sleet and snow. The mild air won the battle by the 27th as the low pressure in the Atlantic pushed further north and a Bartlett high developed allowing a very mild SWly airstream to flood the UK. The end of the month was warm, fairly sunny, idyllic Spring weather with maxima in the 20s and as high as 25C in places, the highest maximum ever recorded for March.

Temperature range for this month -21.7C to 25.0C

CET: 5.2

Scotland: 2.9

Northern Ireland: 4.7

CET trackometer

1. 0.9

2. -1.2

3. -2.1

4. -2.0

5. -1.5

6. -1.2

7. -1.0

8. -0.4

9. 0.0

10. 0.4

11. 0.7

12. 1.3

13. 1.7

14. 2.2

15. 2.7

16. 3.1

17. 3.3

18. 3.5

19. 3.6

20. 3.6

21. 3.6

22. 3.7

23. 3.8

24. 4.0

25. 4.1

26. 4.3

27. 4.5

28. 4.7

29. 5.0

30. 5.1

31. 5.2

[Polar Continental]

Thanks Mr Data, very interesting, that indeed was a ‘switch around’ month.

Paul

[Weather-history]

From the 2nd of March 1965 edition of the Times

[Louby]

Thanks Mr D, very interesting read as per usual.

Worst hit area was Lakeland whre hundreds of motorists were stranded and villages were cut off.

To think it would have been just 'hundreds' back then. Today would be thousands and probably wouldn't be able to cope with the situation as well as back in the 60's!

[Weather-history]

From the 4th of March 1965 edition of the Times

[ANYWEATHER]

Interesting read as always MrData. Just goes to show even on these small islands we can get tremendous flutuations in our weather. Perhaps March this year will be similar!

[damianslaw]

Another wonderful newspaper article.

Sunderland looks to have been seriously hit by the 2nd March event, its been a long time since the city has seen similar conditions probably only in march 1979 and January 1987

[Weather-history]

From the 5th of March edition.

[Weather-history]

30th March 1965 edition

[johnholmes]

I love the old weather maps, nice and simple and easy to understand.

At school I always made a bee line for the library as it had the Telegraph or Times(can't remember which) with those wonderfully evocative style forecasts as shown above.

[Lettucing Gutted]

Those were the days when the daffodils bloomed in March instead of January.

[PeteB]

Sorry. but I seem to be a couple of years late! I remember March 1965 very well and I'm surprised that the event of the 4th seems to be almost forgotten. I've lived in my current location for 49 years and for me I would rate this Blizzard as number 3 in the all time list of snowstorms around here. Only the Blizzards of December 1962 an February 1963 were more severe. It just came out of nowhere in what was an unexceptional winter. From memory, we had a minor snowfall a few days before and this had mainly melted, just a few isolated patches remained mainly on roofs and trees. On the night of the 3rd there must have been a sharp frost because what remained had frozen solid. I remember that during the early afternoon an easterly wind picked up, dressed in school uniform I don't think I've experienced a colder more penetrating wind. The few pockets of remaining snow had started to blow off the school roofs, snaking across the floor. The main event started as I was walking home, must have been about 4.30 and within minutes a major blizzard was underway. It was still going full blast when I went to bed at 11 or so. The next morning dawned grey and cold with 4 foot drifts but within a few hours the sun was out and the snow melted incredibly rapidly. As already noted within a few days temps were in the 60's but there was still snow up on The Horseshoe Pass until the middle of the month. I had to wait another 16 years to see my next real blizzard!

Pete

[stewfox]

Interesting. I was 19 days old at the start of March 1965 so cant remember it.

Hope my mum wrap us up warm

[Weather-history]

From Guardian/Observer of March 1965

1st    2nd   3rd  

 

4th     5th   6th

 

22nd      23rd 

 

29th     30th  

[trickydicky]

‘Many fellside villages were cut off by snow several feet deep’

If only…

[damianslaw]

Cumbria looks like it was hard hit start of the month. Ages since the County as a whole has seen such conditions. 

[SortingHat]

It would be nice if most of these links were reuploaded or backed up.  Sigh more internet rot. It's actually affecting congress and senators as digital records for court cases can't be accessed making the foundation of things very shaky now. We have several newsletters highlighting very important issues of internet rot affecting even the higher law people.

[Weather-history]

 

[A Face like Thunder]

Interesting that Whitby in N Yorkshire was reported as having its warmest day of the year on 29th March 1965. I can vouch for that, if it is correct, having endured our final family holiday in N Yorkshire later in the so-called summer! 

[Weather-history]

Late March 1965 heatwave

      

 

 

   

[Methuselah]

6 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

Late March 1965 heatwave

      

 

 

   

And wasn't that followed by a horrific summer? I remember our holiday in Norfolk being cut short (to one night!) when our tent, along with the entire campsite, was adversely affected by a monsoon-like overnight deluge! 

[Weather-history]

2 minutes ago, Methuselah said:

And wasn't that followed by a horrific summer? I remember our holiday in Norfolk being cut short (to one night!) when our tent, along with the entire campsite, was adversely affected by a monsoon-like overnight deluge! 

Manchester Summer Index of 189

July had a CET of 14.0°C