March 2-4, 2005 Snow

[Coopsy]

I remember this was a particularly snowy spell for the SE.

I was off work during this time and living up by Blue Bell Hill (Kent north downs) around 550ft asl.

We received just shy of a foot of snow during the day on the 2nd I think it was. Elevation certainly helped with the total snow amounts. 

I remember the M20 and M2 being shut and all locals roads were a mess. I had to walk to the pharmacy to get drugs for my bad back and when I got there they said they’d had no deliveries.  

It’s one of the few snow events that I don’t have any pictures of. 

I don’t remember much else about the impact on the rest of the SE so would be interested if anyone has any memories or pictures of this event and it’s wider impact? 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Coopsy

[damianslaw]

Don't have any records, but memory reminds me some SE parts and eastern coastal areas saw quite a bit of snow late Feb and early March 05 from a combination of easterlies and northerlies. Significant snowfall mainly reserved for higher ground, but on occasion there were decent snowfalls on lower ground. I was in Tyne and Wear and remember a number of snowfalls, mostly from convective showery airstreams, which deposited a few cms, but temps often marginal and snow wasn't long lasting. 

Late Feb/Early Marches of 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006 were cold and featured a fair amount of snow due to strong influence of northerly airstreams. Early Marches of 95, 96, 98 also. More recently we've not had many cold starts to March, only 2010, 2016 to an extent, but notably 2018 was.

[WillinGlossop]

I was living in Faversham and commuting to Canterbury to university of Kent… as always anything on the ground hardly anyone came in to uni… but we did have 6 inches of snow in Faversham and the usual chaos endued… trains cancelled, car crashes etc etc… I remember blue bell hill on the local news with news crews all reporting from there… 

i lived right near the train station in Faversham… in a converted oasthouse 

Edited January 24, 2022 by WillinGlossop

[Frost HoIIow]

It was a decent snowy spell here. The best from the relatively snowless period of 1997-2008. It pipped Dec 2000 in terms of snow depth too. Had a good few snow covers mostly at night and then melted through the day but had one day (not sure the exact date) where it snowed almost all day depositing around 15cm here. The lane here wasn't treated so couldn't get to work that day. At work in Salford there was apparently just a dusting.

 

[Don]

2 hours ago, Coopsy said:

I remember this was a particularly snowy spell for the SE.

I was off work during this time and living up by Blue Bell Hill (Kent north downs) around 550ft asl.

We received just shy of a foot of snow during the day on the 2nd I think it was. Elevation certainly helped with the total snow amounts. 

I remember the M20 and M2 being shut and all locals roads were a mess. I had to walk to the pharmacy to get drugs for my bad back and when I got there they said they’d had no deliveries.  

It’s one of the few snow events that I don’t have any pictures of. 

I don’t remember much else about the impact on the rest of the SE so would be interested if anyone has any memories or pictures of this event and it’s wider impact? 

I remember 2nd March 2005 and all I had that day was rain, sleet and occasional wet snow!  I don't think western parts of Kent had much snow either.

[MP-R]

Snowed for much of the day in Bristol, but only settled partially on grass, roofs and such. Probably didn't help that it had rained the day before. The 03rd and 04th were much brighter with sharp frosts overnight.

[Billy Hicks]

I’d forgotten this one and was about to suggest it missed NW London, but in fact I’ve found an entry in my diary revealing there was a significant amount by the morning of the 4th, after some sleet days earlier that week. I don’t think it lasted long but it stood out for the time how late in the year it was - the even more unexpected Spring snowfalls of 2008 and 2013 were yet to come!