February 2019: An extraordinary month

[Earthshine]

I think this month is often overlooked as an extreme month of weather.  The maximum CET was a remarkable 11.5°C, which is a massive 4.9°C above the 1961-1990 average.  The mean CET was a more modest 6.9°C due to the cool nights (however still 3.1°C above average).  It was the second sunniest February on record and concluded the 6th sunniest and 7th warmest winter in a series to 1910. 

Kew Gardens recorded a remarkable 21.2°C on the 26th, a new record which is (currently) 1.5°C above the previous February (and winter) record of 19.7°C recorded at Greenwich on the 13th of February 1998.  2019 also saw the first 70°F winter temperature reading and (at the time) a new all time record of 38.7°C (comparatively cool compared to the 40°C+ we've seen just this week ).

 

[Don]

13 minutes ago, Earthshine said:

I think this month is often overlooked as an extreme month of weather.  The maximum CET was a remarkable 11.5°C, which is a massive 4.9°C above the 1961-1990 average.  The mean CET was a more modest 6.9°C due to the cool nights (however still 3.1°C above average).  It was the second sunniest February on record and concluded the 6th sunniest and 7th warmest winter in a series to 1910. 

Kew Gardens recorded a remarkable 21.2°C on the 26th, a new record which is (currently) 1.5°C above the previous February (and winter) record of 19.7°C recorded at Greenwich on the 13th of February 1998.  2019 also saw the first 70°F winter temperature reading and (at the time) a new all time record of 38.7°C (comparatively cool compared to the 40°C+ we've seen just this week ).

 

February 2019 also started cold, with significant snow falls in parts of the south and south west on the 1st.

I expect 21C to be a more common occurrence in future winters, particularly February.

[Earthshine]

7 minutes ago, Don said:

February 2019 also started cold, with significant snow falls in parts of the south and south west on the 1st.

I expect 21C to be a more common occurrence in future winters, particularly February.

Yep surprisingly cold too, temperatures struggled to get much above freezing in Exeter which is unusual.  I remember the huge snowflakes too!

[Don]

6 hours ago, Earthshine said:

Yep surprisingly cold too, temperatures struggled to get much above freezing in Exeter which is unusual.  I remember the huge snowflakes too!

Yes and long range forecasts were going for a cold month, but that soon fell apart after the first few days!  I think again it was the GFS that first picked up on the warm spell for the end of the month and turned out to be spot on, much like it did for June 2019, July 2019 and July 2022!

[Metwatch]

I was actually quite surprised when I found out the other day that the warmest winter day here, was actually on the 23rd February 1990, with 18.1C. Then the 23rd in 2012 as well with 17.9C. 18.7C in Coleshill in 2012.

February 2019 has the highest max as 17.6C but all surrounding stations in Warks / West Midlands were around a degree warmer in 2019 compared to 1990. Maybe a slight issue with the Coventry station but difficult to tell. Scotland seeing a degree higher than any point in winter here is incredible as of today.

The two days of 1990 and 2019 compared to each other to the nearest degree:

Edited January 28 by Metwatch

[Thundery wintry showers]

  @Earthshine I was in Exeter in 2019 too, I remember that rain-to-snow event on 31 January and the snow still lying for much of the day on 1 February. I remember February being remarkably sunny. I remember that spell of mild sunny weather around the 14th and seeing the forecast models showing high pressure and southerlies for the back end of the month and thinking that it could well also bring plenty of sunshine, and I wasn't disappointed on that front. That said, I remember being disappointed locally by the constant breeze off the English Channel which meant that Exeter was constantly getting 12-14C which isn't out of the ordinary for Exeter, rather than the higher temperatures further inland. 

[Metwatch]

A “winter heatwave” in a warming world – Simon H. Lee

SIMONLEEWX.COM

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The final week of February 2019 has been characterised by anomalously warm, record-setting conditions over NW Europe. The United Kingdom broke its all-time maximum record temperature for February o…

An interesting read

[Don]

5 years ago today and tomorrow, parts of the south west and southern England were having a decent snow event!

[Don]

Some photos from the 1st and 2nd February 2019 in Ludgershall, Wiltshire.

Edited January 31 by Don

[SunSean]

Absolutely gutted I missed that spell of warm sunny weather at the end of the month- I was working every single day! One of the main spells of lovely weather that happened in my lifetime that I never got to experience. 

[MP-R]

In my top 3 Februaries for sure. A very snowy start, the brief Atlantic incursion then brought thunder (very unusual in February) and then the exceptional springlike spell. The month really did have it all!

Edited February 4 by MP-R
Spelling

[Summer18]

It was a very interesting month, from the freezing cold and snowy start to the unbelievable warm spell mid month. I remember sitting in a beer garden on the warmest day and it honestly felt like June. The nights were still cold and frosty though which brought the average down. The amount of sunshine sticks out too.

The weather turned early in March though.