The Tendency For Frost And Snow Around November 22nd

[Weather-history]

Here's a letter wriiten by L. Bonacina on the 22nd November 1911

"November is the first month of the depth of winter or of the midwinter season --- a period logically and correctly defined by the altitude of the sun between the dates November 8th and February 8th. But whilst the general meteorological charcter of the month of raw dismal cold is proverbially foul, the average temperature of the air is in our insular climate higher in November than in any of the four following months. Nevertheless, when a spell of ice and snow does occur in November, it is sometimes very severe, as for instancew, to quote recent years, that of 1904 all over the kingdom, and that of 1909 in Scotland, where a frost of extreme rigour gave about a week's skating in the middle of the month more or less all over the country. Apart, however, from such marked occurrences of cold as these, a brief but sharp spell of cold weather more often than not prevails around the 22nd of the month. I suggest that this cold spell of mine is reliable as any of Buchan's hot or cold periods, which I admit is not saying much of it. This year it hasn't failed and I am writing during it. "

[Thundery wintry showers]

During the 1990s and early 2000s there was a strong tendency for cold snaps between the 16th and 24th November followed by an Atlantic resurgence around the 25th- 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004 all featured this to some extent. In the 1980s, 1983 was a particularly stark example, with a cold frosty spell between the 16th and 24th, peaking around the 22nd (though no snow), and then a long south-westerly drag by the 25th.

The last half-dozen years have failed to produce any clear-cut examples though- it was certainly cold and frosty around the 22nd November in 2005 and 2008, but the coldest weather has tended to be concentrated towards the very end of the month in the last half-dozen years, and of course to an extreme last year.

[Weather-history]

Going back to when Bonacina wrote this letter in 1911, there did seem to be a short cold spell around the 22nd

1898

http://www.wetterzen...00118981122.gif

1899

http://www.wetterzen...00118991122.gif

1900

http://www.wetterzen...00119001122.gif

1901

http://www.wetterzen...00119011122.gif

1902

http://www.wetterzen...00119021122.gif

1903

http://www.wetterzen...00119031122.gif

1904

http://www.wetterzen...00119041122.gif

1905

http://www.wetterzen...00119051120.gif

1906

http://www.wetterzen...00119061120.gif

1907

http://www.wetterzen...00119071122.gif

1908

http://www.wetterzen...00119081123.gif

1909

http://www.wetterzen...00119091122.gif

1910

http://www.wetterzen...00119101121.gif

[A Winter's Tale]

Pretty interesting that there was a defined period of cold weather and atlantic periods in 90s and 00s!

[Weather-history]

Interestingly two members on UKweatherworld using their own records note a dip in their mean temperatures around this period.

[AderynCoch]

The -4.0C for the 28th of course having occurred just last year.

Here are the average daily CET means for the second half of November (based on the daily CET record from 1772-2010):

15 - 5.9

16 - 5.7

17 - 5.5

18 - 5.6

19 - 5.6

20 - 5.5

21 - 5.6

22 - 5.4

23 - 5.5

24 - 5.4

25 - 5.3

26 - 5.3

27 - 5.0

28 - 5.2

29 - 5.0

30 - 5.0

There's a slight increase from the 22nd to the 23rd before the temperatures drop away again, but hardly enough to confirm some sort of cold phenomenon. I'll have to do the maxima and minima when I get the chance.

[Summer of 95]

Until last year I'd only ever seen snow in November between the 18th and 25th. Another one is the 6-7 days centered on May 17th, which seem to have had more than their fair share of colder weather both in my lifetime an back to at least the early 20th century?