Snowstorm: Britain's Big Freeze

[NorthantsSnow]

Just noticed this while browsing the listings on DigiGuide:

DOCUMENTARY: Snowstorm: Britain's Big Freeze

On: Channel 4 (4)

Date: Thursday 26th February 2009 (starting in 11 days)

Time: 22:00 to 23:05 (1 hour and 5 minutes long)

In the first weeks of February, travellers were stranded and thousands of schools closed as Britain suffered its worst snow falls in 18 years. This film documents that extraordinary week and the fallout from the storm, exploring the possible factors behind the freak weather.

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Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=87587

Copyright © GipsyMedia Limited.

Sounds potentially interesting, especially the bit about 'exploring the possible factors' if you can excuse the sensationalism that is already apparent from the mere title of the programme and description.

[Somerset Squall]

It's going to be frustratingly sensationalist but might be worth watching.

[Ripeberry]

They are being a bit premature? There may be WORSE weather in the next few weeks! :lol:

[Somerset Squall]

They are being a bit premature? There may be WORSE weather in the next few weeks!

A similar thought crossed my mind. The cold spell only ended several days ago and already they've made a documentry about it? :lol:

[Cookie]

It's going to be frustratingly sensationalist but might be worth watching.

agreed but how often do we get a mainstream tv weather programs?

[Somerset Squall]

agreed but how often do we get a mainstream tv weather programs?

Indeed, not often, but wouldn't it be so much better if these programmes stuck to reasonable disscussion instead of (and I suspect something like this will be said) "this is the start of a bitter run of winters", or "the gulf stream will shut down so look forward to more of this" etc etc? Makes better viewing figures with the general public in mind I suppose but not for us weather nuts.

[Cookie]

Indeed, not often, but wouldn't it be so much better if these programmes stuck to reasonable disscussion instead of (and I suspect something like this will be said) "this is the start of a bitter run of winters", or "the gulf stream will shut down so look forward to more of this" etc etc? Makes better viewing figures with the general public in mind I suppose but not for us weather nuts.

but that would be to intelligent for the average viewer.

[Somerset Squall]

but that would be to intelligent for the average viewer.

haha, straight to the point :lol:

I don't know, I may watch it, but I'll probably get bored rather quickly.

[Cookie]

it will be back ground tv for me. but if you look in the storm chasers thread and you have sky that will be a decent show

[Geordiesnow]

Not another pointless C4 documentary.

If these snowstorms hit the North instead, i bet there will be no documentaries, oh well, shall still watch it though. Maybe one ''expert'' might say, this is the sign that GW is not all as it was first feared.

[tundra]

Channel 4 must be desperate for programme material, imagine that snow in early February in mainland UK. I'm not sure if any where in southern England even recorded a full 24 hours of below freezing temps between the 1st and the 8th of Feb.

Surly the snow that fell over many counties on the 28th of October last year with 3 and 1/2 inches falling over Hertfordshire and then staying on the ground for two days is far more newsworthy and abnormal than snowfalls of early Feb that has been described as weird weather.

[MAF]

i think the programme is concentrating more on the streamer effect that happened. so although snow is not unusual in Feb in the UK, the ferocity of the snow and route it took is probably not such a common occurance

one thing that may be of interest. try to see the programme and relate it to the excellent thread by Paul S about the streamer. never know, it even be a good programme. cant criticise until after i watch it though

[londonsnow]

ok i havent seen it yet, but this sounds like a waste of tv space to me. yes it snowed heavily in london for a while, and then it was gone. it was no big freeze down here. anyone in scotland will be wondering what the fuss is about. yes it was a colder spell than in recent winters, but the whole "big freeze" terminology is as overused as the "phew what a scorcher" one

[Mark Parsons]

ok i havent seen it yet, but this sounds like a waste of tv space to me. yes it snowed heavily in london for a while, and then it was gone. it was no big freeze down here. anyone in scotland will be wondering what the fuss is about. yes it was a colder spell than in recent winters, but the whole "big freeze" terminology is as overused as the "phew what a scorcher" one

Have to agree to some extent the words "big freeze" are ridiculous,yes it was sustained cold and it was snowy which to many lay persons would of felt like a big freeze but there were few places that remained below freezing for very long.However the prog might be interesting in so much as to criticise there findings for days to come. lol :o :o

[azores92]

Have to agree to some extent the words "big freeze" are ridiculous,yes it was sustained cold and it was snowy which to many lay persons would of felt like a big freeze but there were few places that remained below freezing for very long.However the prog might be interesting in so much as to criticise there findings for days to come. lol :o :o

also the snow melted fairly rapidly due to the dewpoints.

[Albion Snowman]

I shall watch this even though it will be "sexed up"-lets face it, what on TV nowadays isnt? I was pleased with the snow myself, from when it started to when it all dissapeared, 14 days had lapsed.

[johnholmes]

also the snow melted fairly rapidly due to the dewpoints.

really!

many places had snow lying for 10 days or more?

[J10]

Here we had complete cover on the garden for 8 full days, with several inches of snow for all that time, and if wasn't for the heavy rain on the Monday when we had close to an inch of rain, I think it would have stayed fro another 5 days or so.

[MP-R]

also the snow melted fairly rapidly due to the dewpoints.

Now had Monday 2nd Feb been the day after Sun 11th Jan then the length of time the snow stuck around would have been quite a bit longer. Had the week of snow followed the 25th Dec - 11th Jan cold spell then perhaps that might be worth talking about.

[grab my graupel]

really!

many places had snow lying for 10 days or more?

Indeed, John, We had lying snow, of some kind, for fifteen consecutive days here.

[johnholmes]

Now had Monday 2nd Feb been the day after Sun 11th Jan then the length of time the snow stuck around would have been quite a bit longer. Had the week of snow followed the 25th Dec - 11th Jan cold spell then perhaps that might be worth talking about.

a lot of ifs

I'm talking what actually happened

and the last time you had such a cold spell and snow?

[Zenarcher]

Probably won't mention much about the north.

[NorthantsSnow]

Probably won't mention much about the north.

Probably because in this case the extent of the snowfall was a lot worse in the south. And that IS unusual these days.

[dogs32]

Hey I think this might be the programme that some of my footage is going to be shown

Well if not this one another later this year..

Channel 4 have asked me for some of my vids

[A.J]

Britain had a 'Snowstorm' this february??........I remember some parts of the country had a few inches of snow, but a snowstorm?....did I miss something??