Past winters discussion

[MP-R]

Winter 98/99 wasn't particularly memorable, apart from the Boxing Day storm that hit the north, similar in strength to the  97 Christmas Eve storm, 2 very stormy wet Christmas periods on the trot, on the back of  2 freezing Christmas periods in 95 and 96..

 

Early Dec 98 brought a short sharp arctic blast, I was living in Newcastle at the time and remember a decent snowfall on Sat eve I think it was the 6th, a couple of inches or so, however, it disappeared quickly. The rest of the month was fairly standard apart as I say for the stormy Christmas period. Seem to recall some transient snowfall just before and after Christmas on the 21 and 28 but nothing much.

 

Jan 99 was atlantic dominated in the main, with a fair bit of snow on northern high ground, I do remember the frontal snowfall being very transient and wet in nature and not really sticking to low ground, but the fells got a decent covering. The month as a whole was very mild though.

 

Feb 99 was more mixed with a good 4-5 day cold spell early on with some snow, nothing particularly heavy or troublesome, but some decent frosts and cold sunny days thanks to an arctic blast, the rest of the month was mild though.

 

Overall a disappointing winter for cold snow lovers, but not as abysmal as the winter that it preceded, and also a bit better than 99/00 (Dec 99 though was quite good in the north).

 

Didn't early March 1999 bring a cold spell of sorts too? I seem to remember a few days of wintry showers even down here.

[Weather-history]

30 years ago today, a day that has stuck in my memory. There was a teacher's strike, so I did not have to go to school until later than normal. That morning was icy and as I was about to walked to school, I could see that the sky was menacing to the west. I knew snow was forecast for that day. Got to school, when the snow started coming down and with a couple of school mates we ran around in the playground looking up into the sky with the sky full of falling snow. Snow fell on and off through the day but it didn't stick properly until the evening when a graupel shower left a covering. There was a prolonged snow shower just after 9pm and I remember lamp post watching as the large flakes fell in the sodium light. It was snowball fights the next day at school but with the milder air was on its way, the snow cover was gone by Friday morning. I remember how mild it felt and the remains of a snowman that I made was all that was left of the snow.

Have great memories of that 1985-86 period.

Edited November 27, 2015 by Weather-history

[Thunderbolt_]

30 years ago today, a day that has stuck in my memory. There was a teacher's strike, so I did not have to go to school until later than normal. That morning was icy and as I was about to walked to school, I could see that the sky was menacing to the west. I knew snow was forecast for that day. Got to school, when the snow started coming down and with a couple of school mates we ran around in the playground looking up into the sky with the sky full of falling snow. Snow fell on and off through the day but it didn't stick properly until the evening when a graupel shower left a covering. There was a prolonged snow shower just after 9pm and I remember lamp post watching as the large flakes fell in the sodium light. It was snowball fights the next day at school but with the milder air was on its way, the snow cover was gone by Friday morning. I remember how mild it felt and the remains of a snowman that I made was all that was left of the snow.

Have great memories of that 1985-86 period.

 

I recently did one of my historic videos on that winter:

 

https://forum.netweather.tv/topic/84179-scotts-historic-weather-videos/?p=3282583

[Polar Maritime]

Another shot of the old A9 North of Carrbridge taken in 1978. Yes that's a gritter on the right..

 

Edited November 28, 2015 by Polar Maritime

[damianslaw]

A little too young to remember winter 85/86 (was 7 at the time), so don't remember the snowfalls of Nov 85. I do sort of remember the cold of Feb 86, but because it was dry with little snow it doesn't stick in my mind. I do remember snowfall early in Jan 86 when we went to a pantomime. Also some snow on Boxing Day 85 in the eve.. I think..

 

Looking at the stats, Dec 85 was very mild until Christmas.

 

Vaguely recall snowfalls in Jan and Feb 85 as well..

 

Its a pity my most memorable childhood years roughly 1987-1990 (9-12yrs) coincided with very mild winters with little snow..

[Polar Maritime]

Some more here from Carrbridge 1978

 

[Lauren]

I have vague memories of the snow of the early 90's. There's a family video of me throwing a tantrum because I wanted to stay out in the cold but my Dad brought me in because my hands were freezing. I was only a few years old. I remember that snow being pretty spectacular. It was knee high, but to me that was up near my waist! I think it must have been about 1992?

 

The best snow event since then was both Winter 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. If my memory serves me correctly both were not predicted that very far in advance.

 

2009/2010 - I was at uni in the Midlands at this point and we didn't have anywhere near as deep as the SE did. But when I came home for the Christmas break I remember getting a really good amount. The forecast a couple of days before was speaking of some blizzard that would bring 'about 2 to 3 inches', but this would clear and we'd be back to normal after a day or so. It was only the night before when it had already started throwing down snow, that the forecast said anything about a Thames streamer that could bring accumulations of a couple of feet. We watched the lampost outside on and off for hours. This was back when I lived with my parents and we lived on a hill, so as soon as it starts snowing cars struggle to get up and brake on the way down. It had only been snowing a few hours when my Dad heard someone shouting. Someone had started to brake at the top of the hill, but they weren't stopping so they were shouting out the window to get help. Somehow my Dad and several other neighbours heard and raced out to stop the car which would have ploughed into other cars. By morning we had a couple of feet of snow.

 

When that happens we put cones at the top and bottom of our road to let drivers know it's dangerous. At the top of our road is big sloped playing field so up we went o go sledging. Everyone had those plastic sledges, but years ago my Dad made a makeshift sledge out of an old surfboard, some tarp and the blades from some ice skates. It goes very quick and much better than those other sledges. Soon we were hurtling down the hill into a snow barrier we made at the bottom. Other kids got jealous of our sledge so we let them play as well. My Brother and his wife got stuck in the snow just up the road from us, so they left the car and came and sledged and we went back home where Mum had made some hot chocolate for us. This snow delayed me going back to uni for a week, so I wasn't complaining!

 

2010/2011- I had just moved into my own house with my partner so it was our first winter in the house together. Again the forecast hadn't really predicted this until the last minute. Again it had lready started chucking it down when the forecaster spoke again of a Thames streamer and reminded us of how much snow this brought us last year. It was to last all day they said. It actually went on for about 3 days with blizzards on and off. Again, we lampost watched all night (or at least I did!). The world went all quiwt and we went out to the road at about 11pm to see loads of people also out just staring at th snow falling and kids starting to play in it. It was really magical. I love how silent the world falls in the snow. We woke up in the morning to be amazed at how much had fallen. It continued to snow throughout the day. We went for a walk on the fields at the back of my house and it was up over my knees and up to my thighs in some places where the snow had drifted. We were literally frolicking in the snow for hours, we went out at lunchtime and it was getting dark before we returned home.

 

Still it snowed on. Woke up to even more snow the next morning. The gritters had not been out the night it first started snowing, which meant accumulations built up and stayed there. Sadly, I feel the gritters will be more prepared in future and we'll have nowhere near as much snow stopping the world for a bit. From a purely selfish and not practical point of view I love it when the roads close and no one can get anywhere, but I realise the downsides to this. Maybe we need to invent hover emergency vehicles to combat this AND enjoy snow? We went out again the next day and got into a snowman building competition with some random people which ended in a massive snowball fight. It's wonderful how adults turn back into kids when it snows. That evening we went for a walk into the nearby 'chocolate box' village, which looked just beautiful in the snow. We stopped off in the local Inn for a warm drink and the log fire. It appears a lot of other had the same idea as it was packed. We went home, lit the fire and candles and snuggled on the sofa.

 

What a wonderful two winters in a row we had. *sigh*

[Walsall Wood Snow]

I have vague memories of the snow of the early 90's. There's a family video of me throwing a tantrum because I wanted to stay out in the cold but my Dad brought me in because my hands were freezing. I was only a few years old. I remember that snow being pretty spectacular. It was knee high, but to me that was up near my waist! I think it must have been about 1992?

What you remember would undoubtedly have been the very snowy February of 1991. I have only vague memories of it myself being 5 at the time going on 6. But I have since through the records been able to narrow it down to then. Though what I remember could have been early December 1990 as there was apparently a big blizzard then here in the Midlands, though it apparently didn't effect the South East so what you remember wouldn't have been then. February 1991 though was a nation wide event and affected the South East pretty badly with train cancellations due to 'the wrong type of snow' i.e dry powder snow. You can look this Winter up on Wikipedia. Just type in 'Winter of 1990-91 in Western Europe' and you can read all about it. It was undoubtedly the best Winter of the 1990s for snow by some distance and followed three consecutive mild Winters and therefore was the first cold Winter since 1986/87. It wouldn't have been 1992 though as I believe both the Winters of 1991/92 and 1992/93 were rubbish for snow. November 1993 was quite snowy however but not waist deep. Hope that helps.

Edited November 28, 2015 by WALSALL SNOW

[Weather-history]

Talk about El Niño and winter 1997-98, if you look at the charts for this stage as we headed into winter 1997-98, it's quite eye opening.

It started on a wintry note. Funny old December it was.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Dec '97 was good, i remember quite a lot of snow on Wed 17th

[Walsall Wood Snow]

Talk about El Niño and winter 1997-98, if you look at the charts for this stage as we headed into winter 1997-98, it's quite eye opening.

It started on a wintry note. Funny old December it was.

Well that's reassuring. Being as this December looks like starting unwintry (not sure that's a word) hopefully this Winter won't pan out like Winter 1997/98 and the true Winter weather might come later in the season.

[Thunderbolt_]

Well that's reassuring. Being as this December looks like starting unwintry (not sure that's a word) hopefully this Winter won't pan out like Winter 1997/98 and the true Winter weather might come later in the season.

 

The February of that winter was epic though. 19C on 13 February 1998 with bright sunshine - what an achievement! I bet if we saw a repeat of that pattern, we would easily see 20C somewhere.

 

[Walsall Wood Snow]

The February of that winter was epic though. 19C on 13 February 1998 with bright sunshine - what an achievement! I bet if we saw a repeat of that pattern, we would easily see 20C somewhere.

Rrea00119980213.gif Rrea00219980213.gif

I'd rather we didn't. That's way to warm for Winter. Each to there own though I suppose. Saying that though I suppose it depends what happened beforehand. I mean if say December and January were very cold and snowy a warm February would probably be quite a nice contrast. But if we got nothing but mild muck beforehand I would find it frustrating. Edited November 29, 2015 by WALSALL SNOW

[M1JWR]

For me two winter events that will stand out above all others

Winter 1981/82 7 weeks of minus 20 degrees of frost at night, it was very mild upto around christmas

then a snow storm, after that into the freezer, got down to around minus 27 some nights spent time

living next to an aga cooker and a coal fire, no central heating then, that was at the height of a good

sunspot cycle, maybe the boffins could explain that.

Fast forward to 26th dec 1998, the boxing day storm, there has been some vicious wind events here

over the years but this one is firmly in the number 1 slot, it makes todays wind event a breeze in

comparison, i think it was called hurricane stephen, 100mph gusts around here, worse further north,

looked out at one point and things flying around, a tin sheet flew across the yard and impaled itself in

another roof, if youve seen the film twister you will get the idea, never want to witness the like again.

[March Blizzard]

For me two winter events that will stand out above all others

Winter 1981/82 7 weeks of minus 20 degrees of frost at night, it was very mild upto around christmas

then a snow storm, after that into the freezer, got down to around minus 27 some nights spent time

living next to an aga cooker and a coal fire, no central heating then, that was at the height of a good

sunspot cycle, maybe the boffins could explain that.

Fast forward to 26th dec 1998, the boxing day storm, there has been some vicious wind events here

over the years but this one is firmly in the number 1 slot, it makes todays wind event a breeze in

comparison, i think it was called hurricane stephen, 100mph gusts around here, worse further north,

looked out at one point and things flying around, a tin sheet flew across the yard and impaled itself in

another roof, if youve seen the film twister you will get the idea, never want to witness the like again.

81/82 Mild until Christmas? It was one of the coldest Decembers on record wasn't it, with it being particularly severe mid month.

[Methuselah]

For me two winter events that will stand out above all others

Winter 1981/82 7 weeks of minus 20 degrees of frost at night, it was very mild upto around christmas

then a snow storm, after that into the freezer, got down to around minus 27 some nights spent time

living next to an aga cooker and a coal fire, no central heating then, that was at the height of a good

sunspot cycle, maybe the boffins could explain that.

Fast forward to 26th dec 1998, the boxing day storm, there has been some vicious wind events here

over the years but this one is firmly in the number 1 slot, it makes todays wind event a breeze in

comparison, i think it was called hurricane stephen, 100mph gusts around here, worse further north,

looked out at one point and things flying around, a tin sheet flew across the yard and impaled itself in

another roof, if youve seen the film twister you will get the idea, never want to witness the like again.

I think that your memory may be playing tricks on you...As I recall (MK) snow lay on the ground from about Dec. 7 until a few days after Xmas. London might have hit 15C, early in New Year, before the -27s hit again, in early January?

 

That said, my own memory like to 'play tricks' too, these days!

[M1JWR]

I think that your memory may be playing tricks on you...As I recall (MK) snow lay on the ground from about Dec. 7 until a few days after Xmas. London might have hit 15C, early in New Year, before the -27s hit again, in early January?

 

That said, my own memory like to 'play tricks' too, these days!

Ah yes, now i remember, there was this mild blip in the middle for about 2 days when it lashed down, melted the snow

never seen the river as big before or since, your right, 3 weeks of freezer, mild blip then 2 weeks of freezer.

i remember that i walked down the river, on the river that is, for over a mile, the ice was at least 6 inches thick, even

thick ice where it flowed over faster parts, iceicles hanging down the scaurs, all the land like concrete, lived on a farm then

had to milk cows, the tankers couldent get round for the milk, they supplied big plastic bags to put it in, cant remember how

big they were, held about 500 litres each, had to push tractor into the sun for whatever little warmth it had so as we could start it,

man it was cold !

Edited November 29, 2015 by M1JWR

[I remember Atlantic 252]

The February of that winter was epic though. 19C on 13 February 1998 with bright sunshine - what an achievement! I bet if we saw a repeat of that pattern, we would easily see 20C somewhere.

 

Rrea00119980213.gif Rrea00219980213.gif

 

Certainly wouldn't say no to that, I know it's not your favourite weather Scott, but would make a change from our usual wind and rain

[March Blizzard]

Certainly wouldn't say no to that, I know it's not your favourite weather Scott, but would make a change from our usual wind and rain

Certainly wouldn't say no to that, I know it's not your favourite weather Scott, but would make a change from our usual wind and rain

I never thought I'd say it but I agree. Already sick of all this sodden rain!

[Weather-history]

20 years ago today , Peter Cockcroft gives a sneak preview and warning that an easterly is on the way!

[MP-R]

Well in my fifteen years of records, today is the mildest December 01st so far, just to re-iterate how unusual this weather is. Before that, it was 2006.

2015	13.3	10.2
2014	7.9	4.6
2013	6.5	-1.0
2012	6.1	-4.0
2011	8.9	3.2
2010	-0.3	-1.9
2009	5.8	-1.3
2008	4.7	-3.2
2007	8.2	2.8
2006	13.1	9.2
2005	10.2	6.7
2004	4.8	-1.3
2003	9.0	3.9
2002	9.5	4.6
2001	11.4	2.2
2000	10.1	6.2
	8.1	2.6

 

So there we have it, this weather is positively tropical for the time of year.

[Thundery wintry showers]

On 11/29/2015, 7:25:55, Weather-history said:

Talk about El Niño and winter 1997-98, if you look at the charts for this stage as we headed into winter 1997-98, it's quite eye opening.

It started on a wintry note. Funny old December it was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTo1iPg-iRo

I remember watching that particular Countryfile forecast.  It looks like the models that they used picked up on the mixing out of the cold air by the Wednesday (3rd) but overdid the duration of the northerlies by around 36-48 hours.  Looking over the synoptic archives, it's remarkable how the extensive northern blocking evaporated in just a couple of days.

The second week of February 1998 was mostly frustrating in South Tyneside with persistent cloud cover, maxima of 14C and minima of 10C.  But the 13th, the peak day of the spell, was the big exception- the clear skies extended further north that day and I remember my dad remarking, "This is un-naturally warm for February!"  The afternoon temperature reached 17C.  Paradoxically, given that it was easily the warmest February of the twentieth century in the North East, it both began and ended with snow.  Frontal systems coming down from the north-west collided with continental air early on the 1st and brought a dusting of snow, and frequent snow showers spread from the west on the evening of the 28th.  Amusingly, 13 February was warmer than both 13 June and 13 July that year, and February was warmer than both March and April!  It was not as exceptional in the Central England Temperature zone because clearer skies and less wind there led to some colder nights.

Elsewhere in that winter, there was a brief northerly on 19/20 January which brought frequent showers of wet snow to the North East during daylight hours on the 19th, but limited accumulations on the ground.  Then, the following night, the snow accumulated upwards of about five miles inland, but near the coast, the wind veered to a NNE'ly and the temperature rose to 4C, with showers falling as a mix of rain and sleet, washing away any lying snow.

Incidentally, the following year, I remember an erroneous news report from 7 or 8 February 1999 stating that the Scottish Highlands had previously had "four mild winters in a row", evidently overlooking the cold winter of 1995/96.

 

Edited December 2, 2015 by Thundery wintry showers

[Weather-history]

20 years ago!

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

90's winters great, also much better bbc tv weather, Dec '95 seemed a good month, not much wind and rain muck of nowadays

[keithlucky]

Interesting from Joe B cold pool shifts east off pole cold pool moves east

Edited December 3, 2015 by keithlucky