1997 - Bitter Start To New Year In South

[Nick H]

New Year's Eve 1996 and the first three days of New Year 1997 were arguably the last time London saw genuinely freezing cold weather.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119961231.gif

The minimum in Central London on 31 Dec, 1 Jan, 2 Jan was -3.6°C on all three mornings. On 3 Jan the minimum was -3.4°C.

Since 3 Jan 1997, the temperature has never been lower than -2.2°C in Central London (25/01/2006, and it still reached 7C during the day). Since the end of Jan 1997, London has only dropped to -2.0°C or lower on three occasions.

There were two ice days in London that month: the 1st (max -0.5C) and the 8th (max -0.1C). Needless to say, London has not got anywhere close to another ice day since.

My station in the Chilterns logged -6°C on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Jan 1997. I haven't recorded anything lower since.

The lowest temperature in the entire country that month was -15C at Shepshed, Leicestershire, on the 3rd. The Thames froze at Marlow for the first time in 50 years.

There was another cold spell in London almost a year earlier, in Jan 1996. From late afternoon on Jan 25 to lunchtime on the 27th there was continual frost in London and the minima on the 26th and 27th were -4.3°C and -4.6°C respectively, with a maximum of -0.4°C on the 26th.

Such intense cold in London has been unheard of in the last decade. This year, for example, Central London has recorded just one frost, on 17 Feb, when -0.8°C was logged. There may be a frost tonight and in the next couple of nights in London, however.

No of air frosts in Central London

1996 12

1997 10

1998 3

1999 5

2000 4 (the last 4 days of the year)

2001 8

2002 4

2003 9

2004 6

2005 12

2006 11

2007 4

2008 1 (to 28th Dec)

Edited December 28, 2008 by Nick H

[Grimsby Snow Lover]

A very interesting read. I remember it well myself for different reasons. I used to live in Wakefield, West Yorkshire before moving to Grimsby 5 years ago. It snowed heavily for nearly 2 days and we must have had a foot of snow. I have never seen it as deep before or since. I can remeber walking to the Chinese takeaway with my dad, couldn't wait to walk in it.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

My white new year i remember it, lots of snow on new years eve eve and new years eve, and light snow all day on wednesday 1st january, the only white new year ive seen, new years day holiday thurs 2nd jan also early morning light snow

proper easterly on 30th-31st dec unlike this crappy easterly

[Snowyowl9]

Yes I have to rate that cold spell much higher than this for the snowfall and drifting snow,nothing of the sort this winter yet :lol: , but temps on the other hand are just as good if not colder if these very cold temps this coming week verifies.