Snow in July.....

[Weather-history]

..no not 1888 but 1938.

Here's a report from the Reverend Eric Robson of St Andrew's Vicarage West Kirby.

"At 10h GMT on Saturday, July 9th, during a heavy northwesterly squall there was a shower of snow here lasting nearly 5 minutes. The flakes were big white flakes such as associates with a winter's storm. The flakes eventually becamee mixed with rain terminating in a squall of rain. The same shower also passed over Liverppool a few minutes later and was freely reported in the Press."

Edited July 6, 2008 by Mr_Data

[0000]

how rare an occurance is this Mr.D?

[Weather-history]

how rare an occurance is this Mr.D?

Exceptionally. There are only two instances of low level English snowfall in July being reported that I can think of 1888 and 1938. Even the 1888 incidence is controversial with many reports being soft hail although it definitely snowed at higher elevations.

Edited July 6, 2008 by Mr_Data

[Rustynailer]

I noticed the recurrence of the number 8 there Mr Data, tempting fate a little :lol: :lol:

[0000]

Exceptionally. There are only two instances of low level English snowfall in July being reported that I can think of 1888 and 1938. Even the 1888 incidence is controversial with many reports being soft hail although it definitely snowed at higher elevations.

Once again thank you for the info................so presumeably higher elevation summer snowfall is commonplace?or at least not a rarity.

[Nick L]

These days you are lucky to get snow in January let alone July...

[SP1986]

That is exceptional, it is almost impossible to get snow in West Kirby (similar climate to coastal Cornwall) in winter at all, never mind in July, that is truly a freak occurrence

[Albireo380]

I remember climbing Buchaille Etive Mor (Great Herdsman of the Etive), a Scottish Munro (Mountain over 3000 feet high) on my birthday 10 years ago. It snowed from about half way up and was quite a blizzard on the top - It was the 4th June.

Okay Glen Etive is just to the West of Glencoe, so it is fairly far North, and it started snowing at about 500 metres above sea level. But I still was taken aback by snow in June - but did enjoy the birthday snowball fight on the top.

Snow lies almost all year round on the top of Ben Nevis and some of my best Winter hillwalks have been in early May - with deep, crisp snow on the Tops.

Tom

[Nick H]

..no not 1888 but 1938.

Here's a report from the Reverend Eric Robson of St Andrew's Vicarage West Kirby.

He's done well to still be presenting Gardeners' Question Time after all those years.

[damianslaw]

I remember climbing Buchaille Etive Mor (Great Herdsman of the Etive), a Scottish Munro (Mountain over 3000 feet high) on my birthday 10 years ago. It snowed from about half way up and was quite a blizzard on the top - It was the 4th June.

Okay Glen Etive is just to the West of Glencoe, so it is fairly far North, and it started snowing at about 500 metres above sea level. But I still was taken aback by snow in June - but did enjoy the birthday snowball fight on the top. :lol:

Snow lies almost all year round on the top of Ben Nevis and some of my best Winter hillwalks have been in early May - with deep, crisp snow on the Tops.

Tom

I'm thinking the event co-incided with a cold northerly flow. If it came from the depths of the arctic then I would expect snow on our highest scottish hills. The lapse rate is at its greatest in May, early June being only a few days would produce still high lapse rates. I've know maxes of 8-9 degrees in early June under similar flow at low level in north england so yes snow above 500m would be highly expected. Getting snow at the same height from now on through through to early Sept would be very difficult though, lapse rates have receeded and the arctic will have warmed sufficiently rising the air temp flow in any arctic feed.