The Cold Spell In Cheltenham And The Cotswolds

[03jtrickey]

Snow fell during much of the first week of February, giving accumulations of 2cm or more on four occasions in Cheltenham. Monday 2nd Feb saw about 2cm, then there was about 4cm on Thurs followed by 7cm on Friday and then another inch or so over the weekend on the back edge of the "winter storm". Unfortunately the covering depleted daily in town but up on the hills where the snow had remained there were some significant accumulations.

I first went up on Thursday afternoon:

I took my mountain bike and I made some of the first footprints in the fresh snow - only a massive Chevrolet from Baton Rouge and another 4x4 car had made it up - I assume they may have been tourists interested in the snow.

On Saturday I cycled up again with a friend and there was more than on Thursday. The top image shows a farm track which had not been cleared; there were some big drifts. The second shows my friend standing in a drift.

[Yeti]

Nice pics James! Despite the Cotswolds not being very high, it's nice they can make all the difference in these setups

Quite a lot of snow there!

[snowray]

Geat pics, love the drfts! B)

[disco-barry]

Good pics, you bike it anywhere and everywhere don't you?

[jacksdad]

Nice pics James! Despite the Cotswolds not being very high, it's nice they can make all the difference in these setups B)

Quite a lot of snow there!

Quite a large area is over 700ft and a reasonable amount over 800ft and Cranham/Birdlip approaching 1000ft - as you say enough to make a difference over the last 2 weeks.

Stil 2 -3 inches in the shade around my area the rest returned to grass yesterday plus major piles still knocking around from cleared car parks/roads/paths.

I'd imagine they'll go fairly soon now there is no further overnight frost due in the immediate forecast.

[Yeti]

Quite a large area is over 700ft and a reasonable amount over 800ft and Cranham/Birdlip approaching 1000ft - as you say enough to make a difference over the last 2 weeks.

Stil 2 -3 inches in the shade around my area the rest returned to grass yesterday plus major piles still knocking around from cleared car parks/roads/paths.

I'd imagine they'll go fairly soon now there is no further overnight frost due in the immediate forecast.

Yes sorry but I meant relatively, considering that many areas get to 2000-3000ft in England and Wales.

Even so it has clearly made a big difference.

[03jtrickey]

Thanks for the comments - yes, I do cycle a lot - normally on my road bike now but in that weather the mountain bike seemed more appropriate - even then the snow was too deep to cycle in though!

This particular hill, Cleeve Hill is the highest point of the Cotswolds at 1083ft, as you say not terribly high relatively but makes an enormous difference to the weather. For my GCSE I took weather readings along a transect down Cleeve Hill and found that the temperature changed on average by about 1-1.5C over the 200m change in altitude. It was generally windier at the top as well. The nearest mountains to here are the Black Mountains near Hay on Wye (2200+ft) - a long day trip on the bike...

[johnholmes]

hi James

Nice to see that the actual temperature change, on the day you did your thermometer readings, fitted in pretty well with the theory. That is that 3C per 1000ft or 300m is the fall aniticipated.

And the other item you disocered that fits the theory is snow is much more likely even with a modest increase in altitude, although 1000ft is quite a marked height level.

Good photos there as well.

I think when this winter is seen from a distance many will accept that it has been a quite exceptional one in terms of the last 10 years and probably for many in the last 20-30 years, length of cold and also, as your photos show, snow for some.

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Nice, that's some pretty deep snow!