A Late Season Battleground

[Weather-history]

Here are two BBC forecasts featuring a late season battle between a Scandinavian high and Atlantic systems approaching from the west. This is from the 11th and 12th April 1996. This was the 3rd time in about 2 months where the Atlantic came up against a Scandinavian block and failed to punch through the first time. The first was early February 1996, the second was around the 12th March 1996 and this was the 3rd occasion.

From my location rain turned to sleet and wet snow during the Friday evening but it never settled. It felt bitter that evening as the temperatures dropped.

Edited March 10, 2012 by Mr_Data

[Terminal Moraine]

I got just over 5cm of snow out of that and a maximum of 2.0c on the 12th, at 0900. Sleet began to fall during the morning, quickly giving way to wet snow, and then settling snow by early afternoon as the temperature continued to fall.

By 1800 the temp' was -0.4c with 4.5cm of lying snow and light snow continued until after midnight.

[damianslaw]

I remember one snow event during April 1996 and it must have been this one. There was also a notable sharp frost for the time of year. April 1996 was quite average overall but with some quite cold conditions at times. May 1996 was very chilly - 2 degrees below average CET figure and it was a very late spring in terms of growth - haven't had a spring so cold since, though spring 2010 did feel like spring 1996 on many occasions with lots of frost.

Summer 1996 made up for the poor spring warmth. I quite enjoyed 1996 on the whole weatherwise, a cold snowy winter, a chilly spring, a decent warm dry summer, an average autumn which became cold and wintry in November, and then a very good cold december. It came after 1995 which apart from the jan and feb, probably rates as my favourite year weatherwise with the topsy turvy spring, excellent summer, warm dry october, and a wonderful december. Why can't we get years like 1995 and 1996 anymore... 2009 and 2010 did there best, but most years since have very homogenous and unseasonal for long periods, last year being exceptionally poor in my book.

[Portland Paul]

That Friday 12th April 1996 in Birmingham, really did feel very raw indeed in the persistent rain which changed to snow in the late afternoon, settling to a depth of about 4 cm around dusk - the latest (in the season) accumulative snowfall I can remember.

The next day was cold, dull and hazy, but most of the snow had melted by morning, then suddenly some late afternoon hazy sunshine made it feel distinctly pleasant in the gentle easterly breeze.