Winter 1872-73: The Long Wait

[Weather-history]

Winter 1872-73 was a long waiting game for any wintry weather.

December 1872 followed in the same vein as most of the other months of 1872 did ie. it was wet. The year of 1872 was exceptionally wet, the wettest on record for England and Wales. With low pressure dominating there was limited frost and snow during that month and this continued into the January of 1873.

Furthermore, the period 21st December 1872-18th January 1873 was very mild with constant SWly winds. The CET for that period was 7.8C

Then on the 20th, there was a slight change and the UK finally slipped out of the SWly flow that it had been under almost constantly for nearly 4 weeks, as more of a polar maritime airmass influence affected the UK.

The real change came on the 27th of January when the Siberian high crept closer to the UK as the Atlantic influence finally ran out of steam.

The opening of February 1873 was cold with snowfalls and the first real wintry spell of the winter of 1872-73

2nd February

Muswell Hiil: 6 inches of snow, patches remained throughout the month

Winchmore Hill: 1ft snow

Melbury: Roads blocked by snow

Upfield: 7ft drifts

Mansfield: Heavy snow

Hitchin: Heaviest snow for 25 years

Bridgport: Snow 15ft deep on main road.

A report from 48 York Terrace NW

"The snow which fell on the 2nd has drifted to such an extent about here that we have been unable to use our roads. Gradually they are being dug out but even now our Taunton road is quite impassable except on foot,. I walked down it on Monday with three of my children thinking they might live years before they might see such a sight again. It was truly grand and delighted them beyond measure. We walked on the snow quite level with our hedges. The mailcart is still unable to pass."

General reports from February 1873

Harrow: Frost every night bar two.

Pinner Hill: A very cold month with a deep fall of snow, which remained as drifts under hedges for some weeks

Addington: 8 ice days

Culford: snow on 9 days

December 1872 CET: 5.3C

January 1873 CET: 5.2C

February 1873 CET: 1.8C

The Februaries of that era were often mild, infact 5 of the 6 previous Februaries to 1873 were 6.0C+, so it was a change to see the mild in the other two winter months instead.