The Great Midlands Blizzard 9th December 1990

[MarkW]

Will this winter see such weather? 

[Metwatch]

Found quite a few decent quality photos from the Geograph.org.uk site of this event a few years back, in the Canley and Allesley part of Coventry with the last 2 on the A45 Dunchurch highway next to Allesley.

 

Heavy snow in Coventry, Dec 1990 [14 photos] in SP3079 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland

WWW.GEOGRAPH.ORG.UK

---

Shared description for Heavy snow in Coventry, Dec 1990, featuring 14 images

Incredible event and probably not repeated for a lot more years to come. Do hope one day I can experience something like this into low lying areas of the Midlands. Makes December 2010 and 2017 look like a dusting. 31cm in Bablake. @TonyH @Dancerwithwings @Steve Buckley Might be of interest this photos.

 

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Metwatch

[MarkW]

It was incredible. The intensity and speed of the snowfall was unbelievable. From flecking at 11.30-12 ish, to 1-2 inches thick by 1.30am was surprising to say the least. The following morning was jaw dropping. 

[Squally77]

I remember it very vividly, on the Saturday morning I was awake early to the deepest snow I've ever seen. All the conifers in the back garden were bent all the way over by the weight of the wet snow. Must have been around 30cm approximately and thundersnow to, the power went out about late morning and when it did come back on, we were only getting half the normal supply as the lights were dim, truly surreal. My Dad some how got to Birmingham from Tamworth on the train but was stranded there for two days but was put up in a hotel by the company he worked for. 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Squally77
Missing words

[Metwatch]

Some more photos posted a few days ago in a Coventry Facebook page from this event, and these were just the down the road from where I live 

Edited August 29 by Metwatch

[MarkW]

I wonder if we will get a similar snow event - I was talking about this with someone who was living in london, so did not experience this a few days ago. 

[MarkW]

 Metwatch Great photos. The snow apparently reached a depth of 42cm in Knowle, near Solihull. The drifts near me (Tipton at the time) were easily 4-5 feet. According to Philip Eden in the Weather Disaster book, it was largely wet snow (seemed that at the time) and only drifts at 35mph or more. At 1.30am it was just starting to snow heavily after probably sleeting and then snowing for 2 hours or less. Eden says just before dawn it was 35mph plus winds , sometimes up to 50-60mph gusts.

[Summer8906]

The far south did manage snow of sorts, for I remember snow in WInchester in the early evening of the Saturday, enough to produce a thin cover.

Didn't get a lot, though do remember the possibility of heavy snow in the forecast and there had been quite a long cold frosty spell beforehand: in this period it seemed to be very common for end of Nov, early Dec to be cold and frosty.

Remained quite cold until after mid month before the mild and wet arrived around the 18th-20th, perhaps,, but cold dry weather was back by January 12th, starting the long build up to the Feb event. Late Jan I remember being cold, dry and dull for an extended period following a frosty and sunny period mid-month.

[ANYWEATHER]

Remember it well ! Power cuts and a resulting baby boom for our area.....

[Methuselah]

 ANYWEATHER

Me too. I was up in the Highlands back then, and all we had was a couple of cold days. But the New Year was spiffing! 

[damianslaw]

I remember the Saturday well, heavy snow and blizzard like conditions, not sure how much we received probably not a lot. I remember the period leading up was cold and frosty. Don't recall much about the rest of the month. 

[Don]

On 10/11/2024 at 20:08, Summer8906 said:

The far south did manage snow of sorts, for I remember snow in WInchester in the early evening of the Saturday, enough to produce a thin cover.

Yes, there was some wet snow during the Saturday in north west Surrey and a thin covering during the early hours of Sunday.  However, the forecast for Sunday afternoon/evening was for more significant snow, but turned out to be just a rain to wet snow event!

Edited November 11 by Don

[LetItSnow]

Of extra interest to me because it came in such a warm year. Goes to show you that random snow events can strike at any time.

Winter 1990/1991 was a welcome break from anomalously milder than average conditions as large portions of the winter were seasonably cold. Of course the February 1991 spell was iconic too.