Constructing the ultimate winter (cold/mild) based on personal past experiences

[Weather-history]

The ultimate winter for me just based on a combination of past experiences. 

 

Firstly cold/snow

Late Nov -10th December 2010......

Mid December (11th-19th)  is tricky, I can't recall anything of note in that period so I go for 11th-25 December 2009

I go for 26th-27th Dec 1995 then 27th-30th Dec 2000

31st Dec 1996-2nd Jan 1997

3rd-15th Jan 2010

16th-20th Jan 1985

21st Jan-8th Feb 1996

9th-24th Feb 1994

25th Feb -2nd Mar 2018

Crikey what a winter that would be

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Mild/ snowless

December 2015 until 30th 

31st Dec 2021-1st Jan 2022

2nd-16th  Jan 1989

17th-31st Jan 2002

1st-6th Feb 2004

7th-19th Feb 1998

20th-28th Feb 2019

 

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Weather-history

[mike57]

For me Boxing day 1962 to March 1963, I was only 6 at the time but remember it clearly, even in London (where I lived until 1980) thick snow, which lasted for weeks, frozen out of school (all the pipes froze), power cuts. Just before Christmas we had a pea souper in London, one of the last, and it went dark in the middle of the day, so a memorable winter.

[A Face like Thunder]

1 hour ago, mike57 said:

For me Boxing day 1962 to March 1963, I was only 6 at the time but remember it clearly, even in London (where I lived until 1980) thick snow, which lasted for weeks, frozen out of school (all the pipes froze), power cuts. Just before Christmas we had a pea souper in London, one of the last, and it went dark in the middle of the day, so a memorable winter.

Fully agree with you mike57 and I too was in  London at the time.

[A Face like Thunder]

1st - 8th December - 1962

Christmas Day - 1970

8th to 27th December - 1981

Week after Christmas - 1995

27th December - mid January - 1963, 1979, 1987

Mid-Jan to end of February - 1963

End of Feb / beginning of March - 2018 (BFTE)

March / April / start of May - 1979

Start of June - 1975 (!)

[Summer8906]

It would have to start with the start of December 2010, as there was lowland snow even down here in the far south.

We'd then transition into December 1981 around the end of the first week, I can't remember the exact date I have to admit, but perhaps around the 7th or 8th.

Then back to December 2010 around the 13th, as there was a brief thaw then in 1981 but second snowfall on the 18th in 2010.

Back to December 1981 again around the solstice, as there was something of a thaw in 2010, but the snow came back to some extent in 1981.

For the final days of December, I would then switch to 1996, as unlike 1981 and 2010, the really cold weather maintained until the end of the year.

The "best" start to a new year I can remember is ironically 1995, strange because it all went downhill from about the 5th, but the opening days were very nice. Snow showers in a northerly on New Years Day then about three days of cold, frosty and sunny.

However on the 6th there would be a quick flip to 1985, to enjoy its prolonged snowy spell of two weeks lasting from the 6th to the 19th. (1987 was more intense but slightly shorter in duration).

Late Jan 1985 however was dismal, so I'd then flip to 1996 for the final 10 days or so. No real lying snow, but persistently cold. (Incidentally I don't think I've experienced a prolonged snowy spell in late Jan, which is strange).

With Feb, if we want persistent cold, I'd keep 1996 going until the 7th, to enjoy the snow event of the 5th. Then flip to 1985 for another notable snowy spell on the 10th, which remained for about a week. Late Feb is rather like late Jan for a lack of heavy snow events in my lifetime, so for sustained cold I'd flip to February 1986.

However, I actually prefer warmer (but dry and sunny) weather in the second half of Feb, so if I was to follow that, there'd be a rapid change from Feb 1985 to Feb 2019 mid-month (!) That really would be a winter of huge interest - lots of snow and still managing to attain 21C.

As for winters from hell, how about December 2015, January 2007, February 2020. Or just winter 19/20 in its entirety.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Summer8906

[hillbilly]

November 1985

December 1981

January 1979

February 1986

March 2013

April 1981

[Arch Stanton]

Cold / Snowy in South Wales.

January 1982

Jan or Feb 1985

Apr 1979

Dec 2010

Dec 1981 was good but the snow (a foot deep at least) melted rapidly as milder air came in from the SW and turned it all back to rain

1979 was freezing

1984 and 1986 had a good snow events but I can't remember the exact months. Pretty much every winter we got sent home from school because of the snow or because they were shut from the off.

Mild,

1989  S Wales

2019 - 2020 (London) and numerous others

[A Face like Thunder]

Forgot the mild:

Christmas Day 1987

 

[A Face like Thunder]

Not strictly winter but cold/snowy:

Easter - 1975 and 2008

 

[hillbilly]

3 hours ago, A Face like Thunder said:

Not strictly winter but cold/snowy:

Easter - 1975 and 2008

 

It is statisticly more likely to snow at Easter than it is at Christmas.

[Weather-history]

1 hour ago, hillbilly said:

It is statisticly more likely to snow at Easter than it is at Christmas.

That old chestnut. I can only go back to 1985 but for my location, I have only seen falling snow on Easter Day, twice: 1998 and 2008.  Christmas Day: 1993, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2004.

Never seen lying snow on Easter Day, but have seen 4 Christmas Days with lying snow. So against my stats, its a statistical myth.

Also another thing that has to be considered is that Easter is a movable date, so is snow more likely when Easter is late against Christmas?

Edited December 21, 2022 by Weather-history

[Norrance]

From my memories.

26/11/2010 to 08/12/2010.  18 inches snow for me including a 12 hour thunder snow event.

09/12/81 to 23/12/81      Snowy and cold.

24/12/95 to 29/12/95      Christmas day blizzard the highlight.

30/12/78 to 11/01/79      Very cold and snowy

12/01/87 to 15/01/87      Heavy convective snow showers from the North Sea

16/01/84 to 01/02/84      In my home town the deepest snow since 1963 

02/02/2001 to 05/02/2001   Heavy snow with strong NE winds

06/02/2021 to 11/02/2021 Gave me a foot of snow from convective showers.

12/02/78 to 13/02/78   Heavy convective showers gave a foot of snow overnight.

14/02/79 to 18/02/79   Blizzard conditions. A very arduous train journey to London and back for me. Diesel froze. No heating and fine snow particles blowing into the train.

19/02/63 to 27/02/63   High winds gave much drifting.

28/02/2018 to 06/03/2018  Beast from the East

07/03/63 to 17/03/63   Blizzards.

18/03/2013 to 27/03 /2013 cold with some snow drifting.

Rest of Spring 1975. Late March early April very snowy. Skiing till June that year after an almost snowless actual winter.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by Norrance

[Billy Hicks]

For cold/snow (all in NW London unless stated otherwise):

Late Nov to Christmas 2010

Last few days of 1995 (in Aberdeen!)

Early to Mid January 2010

Late January 2003

Early February 2009

Mid Feb 2021

Late Feb/Early March 2018

March 2013

Early April 2008 (and then a sudden switch to a lovely 2011/2018 style April please!)

 

 

[cheeky_monkey]

winter 1991-92 not cold not mild..very dry so no rain perfect.