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!