Snow Falling Through Drizzle

[Weather-history]

Here's a letter by Cyril G. W. Lewis of 69 Barton Road, Dover written on the 9th of March 1929

The weather of February 26th was dull and frosty with a strong easterly wind (Force 6 at 9h). The screen temperature remained unusually steady throughout the day, varying from 29.8F at 8h to 30.2F at 20h. Heavy drizzle commenced at 9h 50m and fell continuously until 11h 15m covering most objects with a coating of smooth transparent ice which rendered many roads and pavements dangerous to traffic and pedestrians. At 11h 10m large well-frozen snow flakes began to fall through the drizzle and these conditions continued for several minutes ending with the gradual cessation of the drizzle but a rapid increase in the snowfall. I hasten to emphasise the fact that the snow flakes were very large and well frozen because under the circumstnaces one might easily be led to think the occurence was that of drizzle turning to fine snow. Conditions became somewhat similiar again at 17h 15m but in this case the the drizzle was very slight and the soft hail and snow which followed fell through the drizzle for a very short period only.

Close examination of my barogram reveals a slight rise of pressure just before 10h followed by a gradual fall until after 11h when a further slight rise is discernible. Careful study of the thermogram fails to show any change of temperature during the phenomenon.