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Favourite christmas weather years


damianslaw

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Just thought it would be good to hear about people's favourite weather of Christmas years gone past. By 'Christmas' I mean the period roughly 24th Dec - 1st January.

 

Comments on individual days rather than the period as a whole welcomed. Many no doubt tend to remember Christmas Day rather than the days thereafter.

 

I'll start off and as a whole I will say 1995. A run of ice days from the 24th which broke on the 31st. Despite little snowfall, there was a slight dusting, but it was the frigid air which made it memorable, mins down to -15 degrees on the 28th/29th.

 

More recently, 2009 was very memorable, a good 6 inches of snow on the ground 24/25th, a slight thaw on the 26th, then the cold came back though no fresh snowfall.

 

 

2008 was quite good, cold returned on Christmas day and it was a generally cold frosty Christmas week.

 

2000 also very good, 4 ice days 27th-30th, mins of -10 degrees overnight 29/30 and a heavy fall of snow on the 28th.

 

1996 also very good, very cold throughout and a memorable snowy new years eve.

 

Christmas Day 2001, 2004, 2010 brought snowfalls. First part of Christmas 93 was cold and snowy. Too young to remember 1981, but I think the cold weather broke around the 28th.

Edited by damianslaw
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Posted
  • Location: Headington,Oxfordshire
  • Weather Preferences: Snow
  • Location: Headington,Oxfordshire

2010 memorable as had 20cm on the ground. Don't have that much memory of winters before that. Last few have been generally been stormy and unsettled. Looks chilly and fresh this year, nice change I suppose!

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

I quite liked Christmas 2009. I had a few snow flurries on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day followed by sunshine and snow showers for the whole of the no man's land period. There were also some pretty cold nights mixed in there too.

Not sure what you are referring to here Scott because that was not Christmas 2009 unless you were in Scotland. It certainly wasn't like that in the Greater Manchester area.

Christmas Day 2009 was dry, bit of fog. A bit of rain moved in Christmas night and Boxing Day was a bit of a nightmare as the road was icy and slippery, myself and the neighbours broke up the ice on the road. It was the mildest day for over a week.

There was excitement of whether we were going to get a snow event between Christmas and New Year as a low pushed up from the south. In the end, we just got a bit of rain and sleet.

Christmas 2000 was a beauty. Snow flurries Christmas Day and a big snowfall on the night of 27th/28th. The breakdown on New Year's Eve was a disappointment.

Edited by Weather-history
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Posted
  • Location: East Devon
  • Location: East Devon

It has to be 2010 for me even though after the 26th was a bit rubbish.

 

 6+ inches of snow still lying on Christmas day (not really melted much since the 20th had around 25cm, just compacted a bit perhaps).

 

The coldest temp I've ever recorded at -14.0c on Christmas morning with and 100% sparkling blue sky and sunshine with a -1.6c max. 

 

Then the 2nd coldest min at -12.7c on Boxing day before the temp jumped above freezing in the afternoon as the southerly breeze arrived.

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Posted
  • Location: Evesham, Worcs, Albion
  • Location: Evesham, Worcs, Albion

1981 and 2010 - the only years I have experienced snow "deep and crisp and even" on the ground, even if in neither case was there anything fall on the 25th itself.   Of the two, 2010 wins by virtue of the clear skies and remaining well below freezing all day.

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Posted
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snowy Weather
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.

Interesting thread dl.

 

Although I've experienced a few Xmas periods with snow on the ground, my favourite festive periods would have to have been the ones with snow falling.

 

1970 - Snow showers on Xmas and Boxing Day, including thundersnow, with a fall of around 4", in this area.

 

1978 - Dec 30th, heavy drifting powder snow, accompanied by a nigh on easterly gale, due to an eastward moving Channel low, which was perfectly positioned for my area. Gave a fall of around 6" but almost impossible to estimate due to the amount of drifting. A fascinating period of model watching during that Xmas week, with bitterly cold air, to the north of the UK gradually transferring southwards, with depressions tracking ever further south, as the Jetstream was forced on an ever more southerly track.

 

Would also include 1962 but my memories of the snowfall on Boxing Day and the snowfall from another Channel low on 29th/30th are virtually non-existent. But do have memories of the lying snow from that Winter.

 

Had a very nice snow cover of around 6" on Xmas day in 1981, from accumulations during that December but the cold, wintry spell was about to end, so the other examples I've given, would have to take preference.

 

Regards,

Tom.

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Posted
  • Location: Woodham Walter Essex,between Danbury and Maldon 42 m asl
  • Location: Woodham Walter Essex,between Danbury and Maldon 42 m asl

I wish I could recall the exact year,but it was likely '92 ,or  '93  ..an absolutely stunning hoar frost...everything was sparkly and beautiful.

prettier I think than ,dare I say it.....snowfall!

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Posted
  • Location: Dorset
  • Weather Preferences: warehamwx.co.uk
  • Location: Dorset

2013 was the closest I'll ever get to a white xmas. I had some wet snow in the morning and ice pellet showers on and off during the day.

2010 was a disaster! The snow that fell, melted almost as soon as it finished and it started raining. All xmas day had, was horrible patches of ice everywhere- nothing but accidents and broken bone reports!

Edited by Mapantz
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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

2010 by a country mile. A few inches of snow on the ground, and the coldest temperatures I've ever recorded.

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Posted
  • Location: Peterborough
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and frost in the winter. Hot and sunny, thunderstorms in the summer.
  • Location: Peterborough

Probably Christmas 95 and 96, whilst young I remember both being frosty all day with crystal clear blue skies. To be honest nothing beats a crisp sunny Christmas day. It's only topped off by having snow on the ground.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

Probably Christmas 95 and 96, whilst young I remember both being frosty all day with crystal clear blue skies. To be honest nothing beats a crisp sunny Christmas day. It's only topped off by having snow on the ground.

 

Hopefully most will get that this year! Wet, windy and mild weather on Christmas Day is the worst.

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Posted
  • Location: halifax 125m
  • Weather Preferences: extremes the unusual and interesting facts
  • Location: halifax 125m

2010 ,an 8 inch snowcover and hard frost too.

2009,a thin snowcover but hard frost.

1995, the last severe blizzard before march 2013,enormous drifts,severe temps.

1985,a wintery end to the year but nothing spectacular.

1981,enormous drifts,severe cold.

1978,the very end of the month gave the blizzard to end all blizzards and the start of the greatest winter for 50 years!

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Posted
  • Location: Orleton, 6 miles south of Ludlow
  • Location: Orleton, 6 miles south of Ludlow

Has to be Boxing day 1962 (15 inches fell), christmas day 2010 (10 inches on the ground plus freezing cold all day), and christmas day 2001 (8 inches on the ground).

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.
  • Weather Preferences: Anything extreme
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.

1962 was good with a heavy fall of snow on Boxing Day but in some ways 1968 was even better as, although it wasn't as cold, snow began to fall on Christmas Eve afternoon and gave a 7cm covering by Christmas morning.

1970 was pretty good with light snow all day on Christmas Eve, and an ice day into the bargain followed by further light-moderate snow on Christmas Day and Boxing day, both of which were also ice days.

1978 deserves a mention as, despite Christmas Day and Boxing day being mild and damp, it turned bitterly cold by the 30th with 18cm of snow on the 31st and a maximum of -5.0c,. the start of a long, bitter and snowy winter.

1981 was very cold with 34 cm of lying snow from falls earlier in the month; there was also thick freezing fog on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Edited by Terminal Moraine
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Posted
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl
  • Weather Preferences: obviously snow!
  • Location: Wildwood, Stafford 104m asl

suppose it has to be 2004! my only true white Xmas, 2 cms of snow fell by 4pm

 

2010 was next best with snow on ground, min -11.1C max -5.1C, but both those years the Atlantic broke through on the 27th boooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

Nick L and my coldest, assume you were in cannock then

Edited by Ilovethesnow
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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire

The last week of December 1995 was bitter, never forget seeing a -24C on BBC weather forecast

That breakdown was very disappointing resulting in a freezing rain event instead of snow. Not pleasant.

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Posted
  • Location: Dunstable 446ft ASL
  • Weather Preferences: cold with frost & snow in winter; hot and dry in summer
  • Location: Dunstable 446ft ASL

It has to be 1978 for me. I was 13 at the time and living on the northern edge of Folkestone in Kent. If I recall correctly the weather was mild and wet on Christmas and Boxing Day but by the 28th very cold air to the North of the UK was starting to spread south. Many parts of the country were suffering with floods and the rain was now turning to snow ( I recall a report on the BBC showing severe flooding in York with the streets covered in flood water but the roofs covered in thick snow). By the 30th the cold air had reached us on the south coast and I recall going to London with my dad and brother to watch Fulham v Luton (Fulham won 1-0). There were light snow flurries and it was bitterly cold during the game. I remember the crowds on the terraces huddling close together on the Hammersmith end terrace just to keep warm ! Light snow fell for much of the journey home and by the time we got back home to Folkestone the snow flakes were small but persistent and being blown about in a very strong easterly wind and penetrating the window sills in many of the bedrooms. On the 31st it snowed on and off for much of the day and on the night of new years eve we had persistent very heavy snowfall which left depths of 10-12 inches. The rest of that winter was predominantly cold and snowy and I remember a particularly snow spell for our part of the world later in January and again in February. Happy days - I always loved snowfall but the memory of that fall and the winter that followed will stay with me for the rest of my days.

 

Sorry for my rambling reminiscing but I suppose this is what this thread is all about.

 

Have a great Christmas everyone and lets hope that the upgrades seen on the models this evening continue and we all get to see some decent falls of snow.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

suppose it has to be 2004! my only true white Xmas, 2 cms of snow fell by 4pm

 

2010 was next best with snow on ground, min -11.1C max -5.1C, but both those years the Atlantic broke through on the 27th boooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

Nick L and my coldest, assume you were in cannock then

 

Yep, mins of around -12c 2 nights in a row, the 25th and 26th didn't get above -6c. Incredible cold.

The last week of December 1995 was bitter, never forget seeing a -24C on BBC weather forecast

 

I love how nonchalantly he mentions the -24c.

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That breakdown was very disappointing resulting in a freezing rain event instead of snow. Not pleasant.

 

That was probably one of the most disappointing weather events.

 

After such a long cold spell to not have snow.

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Posted
  • Location: Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, Thunderstorms, Warm summer evenings
  • Location: Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland

Like many others, has to be 2010 by a mile. 20-25cm of lying snow here, double that in the countryside. Temperatures sub zero all day with night time lows of -11/-12C on a few occasions. The constant stream of North Sea convective showers in the form of snow, hail and graupel was absolutely beautiful. Also had a few thundersnow events which kept things very interesting! :D

Edited by Mesosphere
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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire

That was probably one of the most disappointing weather events.

 

After such a long cold spell to not have snow.

Indeed it was. In fact, both Winters of 95/96 and 96/97 were generally disappointing for snow events in my area.

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Posted
  • Location: Ashbourne,County Meath,about 6 miles northwest of dublin airport. 74m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Cold weather - frost or snow
  • Location: Ashbourne,County Meath,about 6 miles northwest of dublin airport. 74m ASL

 I really liked the cold snap/spell of late Dec 2000,a polar low delivered a couple of inches here around the 27th or 28th. That last week of December felt very festive imo.

 

The cold xmas of 2009,didnt get a white xmas but it started snowing about an hr or so before the new yr (perfect timing) so it was very nice to welcome in what was then a white new yr with a couple of inches on the ground which didnt thaw much and was topped up every now and then over the course of the following week or so.

 

2010 was perfect that xmas eve and xmas day,sub zero temps and clear skies with plenty of snow on the ground but was ruined a bit imo by the thaw and milder weather that set in the following day,it was like there was nothing to look forward to then.

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