December 1981

[Stu_London]

I remember being 10 years old and living near Doncaster at the time.

Also remember attending school every single school day throughout the spell, although we weren't allowed out at break time or lunch.

Also remember trying to break ice on a little mini lake that had formed on WW2 bomb site - I think it was about 15 inches thick when we finally smashed through it.

[jethro]

I think it's the only winter I remember being so cold that the water in the toilet bowl froze solid and the bath water froze in the downpipe outside and stayed that way for at least a week. My kids moan when temps drop below 15 indoors, goodness knows how they'd cope with a winter like that and no central heating.

I do miss the magical frost patterns on the inside of window panes.....showing my age eh.

[vortex_liam]

I rember this, i went to school at the time. We all made snow shoes out of tenis rackets and one day school was off ( due to a power fail) and me and my dad went fishing in the local river through a hole we smashed useing a sledge hammer. Ahhhhhhhhh good times

[Summer of 95]

Was that 31cm actually in Shrewsbury town centre, or Shawbury? That 8 miles can make a big difference, witness Feb 1996 when Shawbury reported 13cm yet Shrewsbury had only 6.

I don't quite remember Dec 1981 (earliest dateable vague weather memory is July 1983) but I'd happily take a repeat of that month, especially if that 31cm in Shrewsbury was genuine (providing the rest of the Midlands didn't have 70cm). Dec 1990 wasn't bad here -about 15-20cm on the 8th- but it only lasted a couple of days.

[Northernlights]

While there's nothing wrong with discussing the adverse impacts that such severe months can have, and stressing the point that many of the most affected need to be considered and helped as much as possible, I think we could do with less of the strong accompanying attacks on the people who enjoy such months, they risk inciting flame wars.

As for the month itself, Dec 1981 got off to quite a slow start, with high pressure in charge, there was then a brief surge of Arctic air on the 4th/5th, and what followed between the 6th and 9th was somewhat unusual, with Arctic air only slowly pushing its way south in association with a very sluggish north-westerly flow.

The rest of December 1981 had a lot in common with the synoptics of late December 2009. Highest pressure was often sat well out to the west of Greenland, with the main branch of the jet well south, and Arctic air trapped over the British Isles, often with unremarkable 850hPa temperatures (quite often they rose above -5C over large areas) but stagnant cold air at the surface resulted in very low temperatures. As Atlantic systems pushed against the cold air from time to time, they gave many big snowfalls, which sometimes turned back to rain towards the SW.

Like December 2009, December 1981 also had a widespread snow cover on Christmas Day (possibly more widespread than in 2009) but snowfall on the big day itself only occurred over limited areas of the country and so the bookmakers didn't have to pay out.

I hadn't been born yet in December 1981 so, for better or worse, I haven't experienced a month quite like it, but I suspect that 18-25 December 2009 may have provided northern districts in particular with a taster of what it was like.

Yes 1981 December very like December 2009 especially driving on rutted ice to visit my future wife on the A96 in 1981 then in 2009 to pick up my kids at the station coming home and going back after Christmas. Had a better car though in 2009 which gripped the road better.

[knocker]

Was that 31cm actually in Shrewsbury town centre, or Shawbury? That 8 miles can make a big difference, witness Feb 1996 when Shawbury reported 13cm yet Shrewsbury had only 6.

I don't quite remember Dec 1981 (earliest dateable vague weather memory is July 1983) but I'd happily take a repeat of that month, especially if that 31cm in Shrewsbury was genuine (providing the rest of the Midlands didn't have 70cm). Dec 1990 wasn't bad here -about 15-20cm on the 8th- but it only lasted a couple of days.

Don't know about the town centre but it was Shrewsbury.

[stewfox]

Christmas eve lot of snow on ground we picked up me drunk dad, its coming back now

[laserguy]

While there's nothing wrong with discussing the adverse impacts that such severe months can have, and stressing the point that many of the most affected need to be considered and helped as much as possible, I think we could do with less of the strong accompanying attacks on the people who enjoy such months, they risk inciting flame wars.

That's right! Every severe weather type has its casualties. Maybe I'm weird/insane/ deranged/whatever to some,but I genuinely despise summer with a passion,and revel in the cold - the more extreme the better,but don't begrudge the heat for those who like that sorta thing. The wheels turn and our preferred weather type comes around sooner or later so we all have a chance to be happy! Enduring memories of '81 include being sent outside to defrost the gaffer's car in my first (YTS!) job - and the warm damp flannel freezing instantaneously on contact with the glass so I couldn't get it off. Having to go into our loft to defrost frozen pipes and being greeted by snowdrifts which had been blown in through the eaves. Having one meagre gas fire in the living room as the only heat source in the house and everyone sat practically on top of it to get warm(ish) as thick ice grew on the inside of the windows (double glazing,what's that then?) Opening the back door only to have a pile of snow fall at my feet,glass milk bottles where the frozen milk had extended an inch from the bottle's neck, icicles which almost reached the ground,getting into an ice-cold bed and having to get beneath the sheets curled up in a ball until the shock abated. Great times,and I want them back!

[Reefseeker]

That's right! Every severe weather type has its casualties. Maybe I'm weird/insane/ deranged/whatever to some,but I genuinely despise summer with a passion,and revel in the cold - the more extreme the better,but don't begrudge the heat for those who like that sorta thing. The wheels turn and our preferred weather type comes around sooner or later so we all have a chance to be happy! Enduring memories of '81 include being sent outside to defrost the gaffer's car in my first (YTS!) job - and the warm damp flannel freezing instantaneously on contact with the glass so I couldn't get it off. Having to go into our loft to defrost frozen pipes and being greeted by snowdrifts which had been blown in through the eaves. Having one meagre gas fire in the living room as the only heat source in the house and everyone sat practically on top of it to get warm(ish) as thick ice grew on the inside of the windows (double glazing,what's that then?) Opening the back door only to have a pile of snow fall at my feet,glass milk bottles where the frozen milk had extended an inch from the bottle's neck, icicles which almost reached the ground,getting into an ice-cold bed and having to get beneath the sheets curled up in a ball until the shock abated. Great times,and I want them back!

That really brings back memories of 1981 in Midsomer Norton (Somerset), when I was a sixth former trying to work in my freezing bedroom with snow inside the window - my father had put polythene across the window to keep the cold out, but the snow just piled up in the gap and stayed there. I had my gran's thick wooly knitted top with a hood to keep me warm, and gloves! The mendips got outstanding snowdrifts against the hedgerows, my memory makes me believe they were around 6 feet, not sure if that is true. Our beloved boxer dog's paws sank deep into it almost up to his body. I thought it would be lovely to go out for a snowy walk, atmospheric and glowing across the fields... no, snow beat against our faces stinging with every drop for an excruciating hour of unrelaxation. Outside the back door the snow also came piling in when we opened it. In the cul-de-sac where we lived, the ice stayed solidly on the roads and pavements for over a week, and the residents complained that the council was only gritting the main road, leaving us unable to get out - it really was about 2 millimeters thick and bumpy but absolutely solid across the roads and pavements; couldn't get a grip at all. We also had the milk bottles with the milk poking up above the bottle neck - I loved that, and when my mother put clothes to dry on the washing line, of course they quickly became ice sheets. Living in suburban London now, I really miss all that, and I am sure my parents still get more and better snow days than we do. I want those times back too!

[Lynxus]

I was born on Dec 1981.

My parents are always going on about how cold it was, Snow drifts all up the roads. No way to get out onto the street some days.

would be nice to see what it was like

[jethro]

That really brings back memories of 1981 in Midsomer Norton (Somerset), when I was a sixth former trying to work in my freezing bedroom with snow inside the window

Living in suburban London now, I really miss all that, and I am sure my parents still get more and better snow days than we do. I want those times back too!

Midsomer Norton's about 4 miles away from me, I can safely say in the last 13 (ish) years that I've lived down here, it's only the last couple of years that we've had notable snow.

Fingers crossed the trend continues.

[knocker]

There was one event that overshadowed all others and will forever be remembered in the tiny fishing village of Mousehole. It was the loss of the Penlee lifeboat, the Solomon Browne, with all eight of the crew whilst attempting to rescue eight people from the stricken coaster the Union Star in hurricane force winds and mountainous seas. I won't add anything here as the events deserve more detailed analysis and I need to look at the official report from the enquiry so I'll hopefully post it as a separate thread shortly. Just to say as a story of skill and bravery it surely cannot be surpassed although of course the history of the RNLI is full of these.

[Summer of 95]

Don't know about the town centre but it was Shrewsbury.

Shawbury then (the 1983 Whitaker's Almanac gives that -25 reading at Shawbury as having been at Shrewsbury, in its "The Year's Weather, 1981-82" section). Have seen photos of Shrewsbury from 1981-82 winter and they seem to show about 20cm, as do the few I've seen from 1963. They do show the river covered in ice however.

[Weathergirl]

I remember this very well. I lived in Cardiff at the time and the friday evening it started the snow was very 'gritty and I remember thinking to myself how rubbish it was, but the wind was in the east and bittingly cold. Later that night my mum woke us up to show us how heavy the snow was and for the rest of the night I had my bling open so that I could see the 'shadow' of snow falling outside as we had a street lamp outside the house.

The next day it just kept going and we stayed in.

I think it snowed all the next night and in the morning we opened our backdoor and were met by a wall of snow half way up the door!

We had to dig ourselves out into the back garden.

There was no school that week and all the kids would go up to the local hills where there were massive snowdrifts and we spent ages digging tunnels (very dangerous now I come to think of it).

But we did see quite a lot of dead frozen cats in the street and birds.

And to think we only had single glazing and no heating....brr!!!

[philglossop]

There was one event that overshadowed all others and will forever be remembered in the tiny fishing village of Mousehole. It was the loss of the Penlee lifeboat, the Solomon Browne, with all eight of the crew whilst attempting to rescue eight people from the stricken coaster the Union Star in hurricane force winds and mountainous seas. I won't add anything here as the events deserve more detailed analysis and I need to look at the official report from the enquiry so I'll hopefully post it as a separate thread shortly. Just to say as a story of skill and bravery it surely cannot be surpassed although of course the history of the RNLI is full of these.

Its the one event of December 1981 I remember well, coming as it did in the last 10 days of our then ITV station Westward TV. I think it snowed in Plymouth around the 29th of the month, but I don't remember the weather too closely.

[Les Penniston]

I was 14 at the time and on the 7th we went on a school trip to Buxton, an outdoor activity week, and what a great week. It was my first time to Buxton and how lovely it was compared to the flatlands of Lincolnshire.

The snow started on the Tuesday night and just kept falling all week, i remember canoing in Chapel en le Frith [i think its spelt] and we needed to break the ice. It was sad to leave Buxton at the end of the week as there was no lying snow when we got back only snow showers that didnt add up to much, that all changed on the Sunday as we had a blizzard [the 13th]and the snow lasted up till boxing day after the mild weather arrived, so yes white christmas that year in my eyes and a great number 1 in the charts as well, where have all the years gone.

Regards

Les

[Severe Blizzard]

My link

Thought I would include my post on December 1981 which I created two years ago.

The snowfalls and very cold weather of December 1981.

Here is an account of a memorable spell of severe weather which resulted in the development of my interest in weather, including my love of severe events. These observations were made at Fleet, Hampshire.

December 1981 began with an anticyclone to the N.W. of the U.K. and rather cold foggy weather with night frosts. A milder spell followed on the 3^rd with the highest temperature of the month being 8.5 deg.C on the 4^th. A N.W. airflow developed after the weak cold front moved S.E. This cooler period ushered in a period of rather cloudy weather on the 5^th to 7^th with light rain at times as waves moved S.E. along the front. It was already cold enough for snow in Scotland on the 7^th. Overnight, a more active depression moved S.E. engaging very cold air to the north. As the front moved south, areas to the east of Salisbury Plain were treated to sudden heavy snowfalls. This snow was memorable because it was not forecast. A fantastic week followed and one wonders how many posts plus happy and satisfied weather observers there would be if such an event like the 8^th~14^th December were to be repeated today!! This would be in the realms of a true 'gift'. Even in 1981 I considered the timing of this near Christmas to be 'spot on' and is still the most wonderful lead up to Christmas that I have ever experienced � probably sadly to never be repeated.

Tuesday 8^th December: The day dawned with moderate rain which had snow mixed after about 7:30 am. By 8 am, snow was falling quite heavily and there was a light covering on some ground by 8:15 am. The walk to school was enjoyable but the walk home was even better as about 2~4 cm snow had settled on most surfaces. The snow died out at around midday and cloud cleared south fairly rapidly to allow sunshine onto this winter wonderland.

Wednesday 9^th December: A very cold sunny morning ushered in cloud associated with a line of coastal showers. There was little snow at Fleet but moderate snow was observed at Haselmere and rainfall records show that 2 mm precipitation fell at Guildford on this day.

Thursday 10^th December: An even colder day with extensive freezing fog all day. I remember the snow cover being patchy and beginning to look 'tired', even on higher ground to the south of Fleet (Beacon Hill, near Farnham). Despite thick fog, the evening saw the temperature dropping again.

Friday 11^th December: This was the main event in this period. Heavy snow fell in the second part of the night, through the morning and into the afternoon before dying out. Depths in the back garden � see photos � were around the 10 cm mark in exposed areas but I remember being pushed over in the school Rugby field and snow was about 20 cm deep. Needless to say, schools closed early on this Friday and being sent home at 2 pm allowed me time to take the photos on my relatively new Ricoh 500 35 mm camera. The evening news was filled with exciting snow scenes and it was a joy to see southern England in the news for a change from the ubiquitous events further north.

Saturday 12^th December: The cloud cleared overnight to leave a sunny day. Conditions were intensely cold with maxima not exceeding -5 deg. C. at Fleet and -7 deg. C. at Farnham. Although the sunshine was quite bright and clear in the southern portion of the sky, the second photo shows patches of cirrus to the west. Despite slowly encroaching cloud cover, the temperature plummeted to �11 deg. C. by 6 pm as quoted by the local weather observer. I remember the BBC TV forecast that evening � there was talk of more snow on Sunday but the real interest was the widespread blue temperature symbols showing values of -20 deg. C. A '-13' was positioned over the Hampshire area and indeed, the temperature did drop to -13 deg. C. before rising from advancing cloud.

Sunday 13^th December: The snow event was oddly enough not especially well remembered but the impact of it has left this day as an icon for impressive severe weather which will stay for many years. The morning was dull with the temperature close to freezing. By midday the wind was increasing and blowing the snow off the trees. The snow started around 2:45 pm and was mostly moderate but was mostly blowing sideways from the S.E.! A real blizzard was developing nicely and conditions were deteriorating by the hour. Just after dusk conditions must have been atrocious (but thoroughly exciting) if venturing or working outdoors. I often wonder how I would manage in my supermarket car park job if we were lucky enough to get a recurrence of such an event like the 13^th December 1981! There was a local power failure from 5:45 pm to 7:15 pm and I vividly remember the eerie sound of swaying trees and the S.E.ly gale howling through my Dad's amateur radio masts above the house. The 350 watt Honda generator was about to be deployed for electricity as we expected the weather to become even more severe. However, the supply was restored and conditions relented slightly. Snow depths must have reached 15 cm during this event but with the temperature above 'zero', the snow was probably melting as it landed. By 9 pm, snow had turned to rain and winds became lighter as the depression passed over southern England. Barometric pressure dropped to about 970 mb during the passage of the blizzard. Reading University data shows a gust of 36 mph during the blizzard part of the storm but gusts of 50~52 mph near midnight as the winds veered N.W. With a period of rain, there was a thaw to the snow which would last for a few hours.

Monday 14^th December: This was a windy day with a gusty N.W. wind, sunny periods with hail and sleet showers. In some areas these showers were accompanied by thunder � another element to add to this already exciting month. There was a thaw to the lying snow which was about 5~6 cm deep on running to school. The journey to school was cut short by a teacher drawing up in her car and saying I may as well go home as the school is closed due to ice. It was good to have another day off school � although by 5 pm there was a dreary feeling that all the excitement was over and things were returning to normal.

The next few days produced little interesting weather but nevertheless were still very cold. The snow mostly thawed out but some patches remained.

Saturday 19^th December: A cold night led to a sunny day with thickening cloud. Further west, conditions were wretched with heavy rain, snow and gales. This southerly gale was most severe in Cornwall where there was the tragic loss of life as the Penlee lifeboat was lost at sea.

Sunday 20^th December: A windy morning (Reading University � 48 mph) with rising temperatures (2.5 deg. C.) oddly enough brought snow which fell quite heavily but led to little covering. As temperatures dropped at the surface, the snow turned to rain � possibly due to a change of wind direction at higher altitudes. This was a messy situation and I don't personally remember lying snow on the 20^th but runways were closed at Gatwick Airport and snow was deep in Eastern areas.

Monday 21^st December: Conditions were cold with sleety drizzle which turned to snow in the late afternoon and became heavier in the evening.

Tuesday 22^nd December: Periods of heavy snow overnight led to another moderate covering of about 7~8 cm by morning. A depression had developed in the English Channel and had halted Sunday's front before allowing it to push back west. The day remained dull with snow dying out but clearing skies in the evening brought severe frost.

The lead up to Christmas continued very cold with quite deep snow cover and indeed there was lying snow for Christmas Day. This was not a white Christmas as no snow was actually observed to fall on the day.

The thaw came on the 27^th as a depression and fronts edged in from the west. However the frontal precipitation was rain rather than snow and the next few days brought periods of heavy rain and milder conditions. A temperature of 10 deg. C was not reached in December 1981.

Details of December 1981 - (min / max / rainfall / wind direction details).

1^st -2, 4.5, Nil, Variable or north

2^nd -2, 5, Nil, North.

3^rd 2, 8, 0.25 mm, N.W.

4^th 4, 8.5, 0.5 mm, N.N.W.

5^th 2.5, 6.5, Trace, N.W.

6^th 1.5, 6, Nil, W.N.W.

7^th 2.5, 6.5, 2.75 mm, West or W.S.W.

8^th -1, 0.5 12.75 mm, N.E. backing to North.

9^th -5.5, -1, Nil, W.N.W. or West

10^th -6, -3.5, Nil, Calm or West

11^th -5.5, -1, 10.75 mm, N.E.

12^th -9.5, -5, Nil, Calm

13^th -13, 3, 10 mm, S.S.E. / S.E. veering S.W.

14^th -1, 4, 6 mm, N.W.

15^th 0.5, 4.5, Trace, East

16^th -4.5, 0.5, Nil, E.N.E.

17^th -6, 0, Nil, East

18^th -5.5, 0, Trace, N.E.

19^th -9, 0.5, Nil, North becoming calm or S.E.

20^th -1.5, 2.5, 14.25 mm, South or S.S.E.

21^st -1, 0.5, 3.75 mm, East

22^nd -1, -0.5, 6.5 mm, North

23^rd -7.5, -1.5, Nil, East

24^th -3, -1, Nil, N.E.

25^th -2, 0, Nil, Variable

26^th -6, -1, Nil, E.S.E.

27^th -2, 2, 1 mm, S.E. then S.W.

28^th 0.5, 3, 0.5 mm, E.S.E.

29^th 2.5, 5.5, 12.5 mm, S.E. becoming S.W.

30^th 5.5, 8.5, 4.5 mm, South

31^st 1.5, 7, 0.5 mm, S.W.

[Weather-history]

There is this home footage on youtube

I think mid-December-mid January came close to matching this month in the north.

Here's another

[PeteB]

Yeah, I remember the 13th December almost like yesterday. I was working a 3-11 shift and before going to work went out for a walk over the fields. After a few minutes I noticed that the wind was kicking up some of the snow that had been around for a few days. Got home about midday, and a few minutes later noticed the first few flakes coming down. Within 15 minutes it was obvious that I wouldn't be going to work, the snow intensified and was drifting like crazy. It carried on like that till about 10 in the evening by which time the drifts were 4 feet in places. Managed to get to work the next day to be greeted by 3 feet drifts on The Wirral, almost unknown in that part of the world. That was the 4th true blizzard I've seen around here, the 5th and so far final one was about a month later!

The cold was something else too, I recorded -18 several times on a shielded and calibrated thermometer, in '63 on a crude max/min thermometer the coldest I saw was -15 a couple of times.

Pete

[andrew.nixon@lineone.net]

I will never forget one evening after several days of freezing fog it started snowing with the fog only slowly clearing. I have never understood how that could happen.

[damianslaw]

With talk of a notably cold period about to attack us for the time of year, my thoughts have been turning back to Dec 81 and whether we could see a repeat performance this year of cold conditions on a par with that particular month.

However, Dec 81, started off on a mild note, the cold didn't arrive until the 8th, this year Dec looks like starting off on a much colder note. One similiar comparison with what is being progged for later next week and patterns in dec 81 was the robust greenland high. Dec 81 saw much more of a northerly airstream taking hold and heights ridged far into the mid atlantic and less of a NE/E airstream. It was a particularly severe month in Scotland which saw a relentless arctic attack.

[Les Penniston]

With talk of a notably cold period about to attack us for the time of year, my thoughts have been turning back to Dec 81 and whether we could see a repeat performance this year of cold conditions on a par with that particular month.

However, Dec 81, started off on a mild note, the cold didn't arrive until the 8th, this year Dec looks like starting off on a much colder note. One similiar comparison with what is being progged for later next week and patterns in dec 81 was the robust greenland high. Dec 81 saw much more of a northerly airstream taking hold and heights ridged far into the mid atlantic and less of a NE/E airstream. It was a particularly severe month in Scotland which saw a relentless arctic attack.

I think also the run up to christmas the weathermaen predicting a knife edge battle between mild and cold with the cold hanging on longer than forcasted.

Regards

Les

[MarcB]

I was a postman in Streatham, South west London at the time, I remember that December as an absolute nightmare.

A bus that was stuck in Streatham High Rd for at least 12 hours, I presume because of frozen diesel rather than the snow depth.

Colleagues breaking limbs after days and nights of snow, frost, snow, frost etc

When out delivering, spending more time on my backside than on my feet!

I also remember walking back from Green Lane in Norbury past Streatham Common with the most incredible wind chill I have ever felt in my life. When I finally managed to get back to the sorting office some 30-40 minutes later, a colleague looked at me, burst out laughing and exclaimed, "what is up with your face"? I immediately ran up to the changing rooms, looked in a mirror and the right hand side of my face had a sort of white frozen frosty look to it, yet the left hand side was bright red! I think I was actually frozen!!

As much as I love the cold and snow, I am really not sure whether I would like to experience that again.

[paul tall]

Too right! How dreadful. I just wonder what the temperature in our house in Buxton would sink to if we had feet of snow and -20°C. Probably would get below freezing inside. Imagine the heating bill. In fact, the heating would probably fail in our house. And, not being able to get to work, the general inconvenience and hassle as well as the dangers, given how ill equipped he UK is for such conditions. But worst of all, the sheer physical pain of the absence of heat energy (which is all the cold is, of course) would really, seriously see me fly abroad on what little savings I have, even if it sinks my credit rating! Just so long as the snow has not shut all the airports down. Brrrr. Nothing worse. How anyone could want this, I will never understand.

You don't like cold by the looks of things, yet you live in fricking Buxton?

[cold&cloudy]

Glad you folks in the UK are finally getting some memorable winters again. The same has been happening here in the US over the past couple years.