A famous photo taken 32 years ago today

[Weather-history]

Here's a famous photo that was in the newspapers the following day. The snow covered cricket ground at Buxton from 2nd June 1975. Not surprisingly the Derbyshire v Lancashire match was delayed.

[West is Best]

I wonder what affect snow on the wicket would have. Wouldn't have fancied batting first though.

Amazing isn't it? It spawned a lyric that I rather liked: 'The evil of the snowflake in June' (Genesis: Trick of the Tail)

A truly remarkable moment in recent metereology.

I can also remember playing cricket one May in snow fall off a biting northerly. Must have been between 1978 and 1980 because it was at Uppingham. Any thoughts anyone on which set up that would have been?

[Anti-Mild]

Interesting synoptic chart from that day as well.

If that chart was to happen tomorrow there is not a chance in hell that it would snow, except on the very tops of the Scottish mountains. In fact, even if that chart was to happen in early May it still wouldn't snow!

Edited June 2, 2007 by Anti-Mild

[Northernlights]

I was at lectures in the Agri building in King Street Aberdeen on that day watching the snow come in off the North Sea. Back home they had to take all the cows and calves in and cream all their udders as the calves were drinking more frequently decause of the cold causing bleeding cracks on the udders to develop caused by the extreme cold About 2 weeks later we were baling hay in the 70s F and this was followed by a very dry warm summer and the earliest ever finish to harvest until 2003 so I went off to Orkney on 2nd of September for a few days to see friends from college and buy some store cattle to overwinter. It was an exceptional year!!!!!

[Michael Winston]

Wasn't the Easter of '75 very warm too? I remember lying on the beach at Exmouth in very hot weather (instead of revising for my exams!) but I can't remember whether it was '75 or '76.

Does anyone know?

Many thanks,

Mike.

[Weather-history]

Wasn't the Easter of '75 very warm too? I remember lying on the beach at Exmouth in very hot weather (instead of revising for my exams!) but I can't remember whether it was '75 or '76.

Does anyone know?

Many thanks,

Mike.

No, Easter that year was cold and very wintry. It was much colder than the previous Christmas (1974). I think it was probably Easter '76.

Edited June 2, 2007 by Mr_Data

[Osbourne One-Nil]

I think you'll find the photo was actually taken 31 years, 364 days 23 hours and 16 minutes ago Mr Data.

[Nick H]

I believe the gentleman in the winter jacket in that picture is dear old Clive Lloyd, the great West Indian batsman and Lancashire player at the time. Obviously weather that he was not accustomed to!

That morning of the 2nd saw temperatures slump to -3.3C at Gleneagles.

What isn't as well remembered is the fact that just 4 days later temps were widely in the mid-20s and by the 9th the Scottish Highlands were recording 29C! Amazing...

On the 21st of June 1975, the longest day of the year, Lloyd was presented with the inaugural World Cup by Prince Philip at Lord's, which ended at 8.45pm with temps still in the high 20s.

Edited June 2, 2007 by Nick H

[johnholmes]

by Friday of that week the same area had day max's of 23-27C, and for much of the rest of that summer.

[Rustynailer]

I was 9 I remember it, we had just moved back from Jersey, We stayed briefly in a chalet in Lyme Park, in the Cheshire part of the Peak District. There was a light covering there when we woke up as far as I can remember. My father referred to it for years after, describing how warm and lovely Jersey was in comparison

Regards,

Russ.

Edited June 2, 2007 by Rustynailer

[Weather-history]

I wonder what affect snow on the wicket would have. Wouldn't have fancied batting first though.

The match was 31st May 1975- 3rd June 1975

There was no play on the 2nd of June

Lancs 477-5

Derby 42 and 87

Lancs won by innings and 348 runs.

Dickie Bird was one of the umpires! :lol:

[Thundery wintry showers]

I can also remember playing cricket one May in snow fall off a biting northerly. Must have been between 1978 and 1980 because it was at Uppingham. Any thoughts anyone on which set up that would have been?

That would be the first week of May 1979; persistent low pressure over Scandinavia and high pressure over Greenland brought very cold northerly and north-westerly winds with snow showers.

A relevant synoptic chart:

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119790503.gif

Snow in May wasn't that unusual until recently; in Tyne & Wear I reported sleet on 11 May 1995, and then snow on 6 May 1997; it pales by comparison to the remarkable weather of 2 June 1975. Shame I wasn't around to see the summer of '75; sounds like it was a classic and much more interesting than the more famous one in '76.

[BARRY]

I remember eating fish & chips in the car at princetown on dartmoor, in a howling blizzard on good Friday in the ninety's but can't remember what year, must be having one of my Senior moments. :lol:

[Nick H]

The match was 31st May 1975- 3rd June 1975

There was no play on the 2nd of June

Lancs 477-5

Derby 42 and 87

Lancs won by innings and 348 runs.

Dickie Bird was one of the umpires! :lol:

Quite a one-sided match then!

No surprise to see Dickie umpiring, the bad weather always seemed to follow him around!

[kippure]

Great to see old photos like that.

[Terminal Moraine]

A met' station at Eastmoor, about 12 miles from me and at a similar altitude, recorded a temp' of -0.2c during a heavy snow shower on the afternoon of June 2nd 1975; it almost seems beyond belief in these times of endless warmth.

I remember getting up for work on the day in question and rubbing my eyes in disbelief as I opened the curtains and saw moderate snow falling.

It occurred to me that perhaps the alarm hadn't gone off and I'd overslept for about 5 months but happily it was all real.

T.M

[Weather-history]

From the Times of 3rd June 1975

[Weather-history]

[jethro]

Thanks for that Mr D. It's interesting that the growing season had shortened by almost 3 weeks over 40 years; current growing season is estimated by the RHS to have lengthened by 2-4 weeks over the last 20 years. So, plant wise, we're back where we were in the 1930s.

[Gray-Wolf]

Thanks for that Mr D. It's interesting that the growing season had shortened by almost 3 weeks over 40 years; current growing season is estimated by the RHS to have lengthened by 2-4 weeks over the last 20 years. So, plant wise, we're back where we were in the 1930s.

So we've overcome the 'globally dimmed' period then?

Mr D. If you've access to the Manchester Evening News from the same period you'll find a nice piccie of Old Trafford (Cricket) pitch with the date written in the snow........I remember delivering the papers with that front page y'see................

Edited June 1, 2008 by Gray-Wolf