Just When You Thought Winter Was Over.....

[Weather-history]

The winter of 1882-83 was drawing to a close as February ended on a mild note. It was the second year on the run that winter had been relative mild and so the Victorians of late Feb 1883 thought the worst of winter was behind them.

Indeed the start of March 1883 was tranquil with high pressure lots of sun and pleasant temperatures

However on the 5th, the high pressure pulled into the Atlantic and a potent Arctic airstream pushed southwards bringing low maxima, sharp frosts and snowfalls

This Arctic airstream was a long lived event and lasted until about mid month

After a less cold interlude mid-month, the winds swung into the east and there were further snowfalls, frosts etc.

There was then another Arctic northerly towards the end of the month

The weather finally turned milder right at the end of the month as winds swung into the west and southwest.

March 1883 CET: 1.9 February 1883 CET: 5.9

CET Max mean: 5.9

CET Min mean: -2.0

March 1883 was the coldest month between and including February 1881 and January 1886

CET trackometer

1. 7.2

2. 6.0

3. 5.6

4. 5.2

5. 5.2

6. 4.8

7. 4.2

8. 3.5

9. 2.9

10. 2.4

11. 2.2

12. 2.1

13. 2.0

14. 2.0

15. 1.9

16. 1.9

17. 1.9

18. 1.9

19. 1.9

20. 1.9

21. 1.8

22. 1.7

23. 1.7

24. 1.6

25. 1.6

26. 1.6

27. 1.6

28. 1.6

29. 1.7

30. 1.8

31. 1.9

Reports from March 1883

London: Temp fell below 32F on 20 nights, mean temp: 36.6F

Hythe: Frost on 20 nights

Oxford: Frost on 22 nights

Banbury: Frost on 24 nights and snow on 14 days

Cambridge: Frost on 25 nights

Hitchin: Mean temp 32.9F (-6.6F), 27 air frosts

Banbury: Mean temp: 35.2F (-5F) Snow on 12 days, 27 air frosts

Culford: A thorough winter month. Snow on 7 days, 26 air frosts

Cossey: More or less snow about and under the fence from the 6th to 30th, 26 air frosts

Bodmin: mean temp: 37.7F (-5.4F)

Torquay: mean temp 38.4F (-5.0F)

Cheltenham: mean temp 35.0F (-6.1F, frost on 26 days, snow on 10 days

Loughborough: Snow on 13 days

Derby: snow on 13 days

Scarborough: Frost on 21 nights, snow on 15 days

Penrith: Frost on 27 nights, snow on 14 days

Woolstaston: mean temp: 35.0F, snow on 8 days

Orleton: 24 air frosts, snow on 14 days

Grimsby: snow on 11 days

North Shields: snow on 17 days

Haverfordwest: Mean temp: 37.4F, snow on 8 days

Cargen: Mean temp: 36.3F, N to E winds on 27 days

Dunfries: Frost on 28 nights

Hawick: Snow on 10 days

Aberdeen: Snow on 19 days, 20 air frosts

Sandwick: Snow on ground for 14 days, snow rollers on 18th.

Dublin: Mean temp: 38.2F, snow or sleet on 10 days

Some daily reports

6th March: Snow storms all day [Northampton]

7th March: 2" of snow [Reigate], Gale with snow [Melton Mowbray]

8th March: 1" of snow at Croydon, 4" of snow at Canterbury

9th March: 4" of snow at Northampton, skating in Williamson Park at Lancaster

10th March: Rivers Towy and Brane frozen over at Llandovery

15th March: Snow 2" deep

17th March: Snow 7" deep at Cockermouth, wreaths of snow at Wester Elchies, 4 to 10ft deep.

18th March: Snow storm [Devonport]

19th March: 4" of snow at Ross-on-wye, 18" of snow at Aviemore with drifting

23rd March: Skating at Chesterfield

24th March: Croydon minimum -6.1C

26th March: Heavy snow storm [Dorking], Heavy snow storm [LLandovery], Snow storm and very wild weather [ballinasloe]

[Albion Snowman]

I would give my right arm for an arctic, easterly than arctic northerly in quick succession!

[Terminal Moraine]

Buxton had a monthly mean of -0.9c in March 1883 which is 1.5c lower than the coldest Marches I've experienced in 1962 and 1969. They also recorded a monthly min' of -15.0c on the the 10th in 1883 although it should be borne in mind that the station site at that time was at the bottom of a hollow, rather than halfway up the terraces as it is now, and was notorious for recording low minima; nevertheless that's exceptional for March.

[Shiny_Bottom_1]

Reports from March 1883...

...Derby: snow on 13 days

Sounds like heaven to me.

Interesting read Mr D.

[damianslaw]

Wow quite an exceptional month - just imagine similiar synoptics in a January or February - they are the perfect synoptics for delivering the coldest conditions that this country can produce... my ideal winter synoptics easterlies back to northerlies back to easterlies back to northerlies - reason sustained heights to the north west.

[Weather-history]

140 years ago

Edited February 28, 2023 by Weather-history

[Weather-history]

 

                     

[damianslaw]

Quite probably a SSW effect especially on the back of such a mild February.