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Late December snowfalls 90s onwards


damianslaw

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

The Christmas week 24-31 December often seems to fit into one of three camps in the last 30 years or so:

1. Predominantly snowless, mild wet and windy (this year for example, and last year, other recent examples include 2013 and 2015 - unfortunately far too many to mention!)

2. Cold and dry or cold and snowy 2020 last example, also 2008 and 2009

3. Mixed with some cold snowy weather and also milder wetter weather - think 2014, 2017 for example

Thinking back to snow events in said period:

Dec 27 1993 - a few inches from an atlantic front

Dec 31 1994 a cold northerly flow gave snow showers

Dec 31 1995 promised snow, but had freezing rain instead after a week's freeze

Dec 27 1996 and New Years Eve, snowy

Dec 27/28 2000 5 inches here from a cold NW pattern, stuck around until New Years Day

Dec 28-29 and also New Years Eve 2001 

New Years Eve 2003 - snow showers

Dec 25 2004 - 2 inches white christmas

Dec 29 2005 - a frontal snow event

Dec 27 2010 - a frontal snow event

Dec 29 2007 - a couple of inches from a frontal event

New Years Eve 2020 - a cm or two something at least

Despite quite a few snowfalls, the only heavy snowfall in last 30 years that caused problems here was the 2000 event, others were only slight or were followed by a thaw. 2009 brought heavy snow before christmas but no fresh snowfalls here in the christmas week but it stayed very cold. 2008 was cold but no snowfalls.

Use this thread to discuss any notable snowfalls last 30 years in the christmas week.

 

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Not long ago the final week of December 2020 was quite snowy around the north west with multiple troughs affecting the region. There were falls on the 27th, 29th, 31st and 1st/2nd of Jan. This included respectable accumulations on low ground - due to the low heights meaning upper requirements for snow was reduced, evaporative cooling was effective and a surface inversion was allowed to develop. Much like the spell of early December 2022, however the Dec 2020 low was more unstable and interesting. I had accumulated roughly 6 inches of snow by the 1st of January 2021.

Could contain: Nature, Outdoors, Hurricane, Storm

Could contain: Weather, Nature, Outdoors, Ice, Scenery, Snow, Winter

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Posted
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Continental winters & summers.
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset

In my lifetime the list goes as follows:

1996 - Dec 31st easterly snow showers

2000 - Dec 28th early hours polar low 

2001 - Dec 29th/30th light covering from northerly snow showers, mostly overnight

2004 - Dec 25th a few snow showers on a polar NWerly. There was also a snowy slider the weekend before.

2005 - Dec 29th frontal snow from the SW

2009 and 2010 both had snow on the ground but no snow falling. 
 

2017 - Dec 26th/27th overnight rain to snow event left a covering on the 27th

2020 was disappointing. Sleety at best as it was cold enough for snow except when showers turned up. It also rained at -1C on NYD.

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
17 minutes ago, Kasim Awan said:

Not long ago the final week of December 2020 was quite snowy around the north west with multiple troughs affecting the region. There were falls on the 27th, 29th, 31st and 1st/2nd of Jan. This included respectable accumulations on low ground - due to the low heights meaning upper requirements for snow was reduced, evaporative cooling was effective and a surface inversion was allowed to develop. Much like the spell of early December 2022, however the Dec 2020 low was more unstable and interesting. I had accumulated roughly 6 inches of snow by the 1st of January 2021.

Could contain: Nature, Outdoors, Hurricane, Storm

Could contain: Weather, Nature, Outdoors, Ice, Scenery, Snow, Winter

Yes we had a couple of dustings at best, but remember southern parts of the NW region and Pennine / Peak District areas fayred far better, i think the flow was too North westerly for here, similiar as you say to earlier this month. 10 Dec 2022 being a good comparable example.

 

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5 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Yes we had a couple of dustings at best, but remember southern parts of the NW region and Pennine / Peak District areas fayred far better, i think the flow was too North westerly for here, similiar as you say to earlier this month. 10 Dec 2022 being a good comparable example.

 

Its all about the flow and relativity of low heights (i.e., in a flow of X direction the streamers *could* set up in multiple areas but the streamers will always set up (often exclusively) where heights are lowest and the sea-wind track is furthest (law of convection)). If heights are relatively constant then multiple streamers will develop. However any descrapancy in these factors will concentrate streamers in specific areas.

Edited by Kasim Awan
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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
8 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Yes we had a couple of dustings at best, but remember southern parts of the NW region and Pennine / Peak District areas fayred far better, i think the flow was too North westerly for here, similiar as you say to earlier this month. 10 Dec 2022 being a good comparable example.

 

I had a dusting of snow late December 2020 and New Years Eve was cold and frosty.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

I recall the freezing rain and cold of New Year's Eve 1995. It was absolutely horrendous on the M40/M42/M6 in the West Midlands. I also recall the snow of 28th December 2000 in the Lake District and inching out of the Lakes at Windermere following a Christmas stay at Rydal. However, neither 1995 nor 2000 seemed to affect back home in S Cheshire to any degree. 

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Posted
  • Location: North Leeds
  • Location: North Leeds

A few spring to mind:

-1999: We had snow showers Christmas Day afternoon, very fleeting but the first time I remember snow falling on Christmas Day.

-  2000: probably the first weather event I can remember in good detail. The snow arrived on the 27th and stuck around until New Year, I remember the nights being particularly cold during this spell. The snow was very deep. 

-2003: Very heavy rain to snow event on New Years Eve, not many recall this as it was quite localised. 

-2004: Snow showers on Christmas Day morning but the weather going into New Year was very stormy. 

- 2005: Snow arrived around the 28th and remained for a few days, not as memorable as 2000 but a decent cold snap.

- 2008: I remember the period after Christmas being particularly cold with harsh frosts and fog although we didn’t have much snow at all.

-2009/10: Obviously these two are the most memorable, the snow was already on the ground from before Christmas, it was this period in 2010 when the weather started to turn milder and I remember the end of that year being particularly foggy.

-2014: Snow on Boxing Day evening and the cold weather lingered into the New Year.

-2017: I can’t recall the exact date, I think it was around the 28th but we had a covering of snow in the morning which had melted by the evening. 

-2020: Similar to 2008, very cold and frosty going into the New Year with snow showers on the 27th. 

-2021: Snowed Christmas Day night but turned very mild at the turn of the year. 

Late December 1995 and 1996 were cold snowy but I was too young to recall these in any detail. 

Edited by Summer18
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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
9 hours ago, Summer18 said:

A few spring to mind:

-1999: We had snow showers Christmas Day afternoon, very fleeting but the first time I remember snow falling on Christmas Day.

-  2000: probably the first weather event I can remember in good detail. The snow arrived on the 27th and stuck around until New Year, I remember the nights being particularly cold during this spell. The snow was very deep. 

-2003: Very heavy rain to snow event on New Years Eve, not many recall this as it was quite localised. 

-2004: Snow showers on Christmas Day morning but the weather going into New Year was very stormy. 

- 2005: Snow arrived around the 28th and remained for a few days, not as memorable as 2000 but a decent cold snap.

- 2008: I remember the period after Christmas being particularly cold with harsh frosts and fog although we didn’t have much snow at all.

-2009/10: Obviously these two are the most memorable, the snow was already on the ground from before Christmas, it was this period in 2010 when the weather started to turn milder and I remember the end of that year being particularly foggy.

-2014: Snow on Boxing Day evening and the cold weather lingered into the New Year.

-2017: I can’t recall the exact date, I think it was around the 28th but we had a covering of snow in the morning which had melted by the evening. 

-2020: Similar to 2008, very cold and frosty going into the New Year with snow showers on the 27th. 

-2021: Snowed Christmas Day night but turned very mild at the turn of the year. 

Late December 1995 and 1996 were cold snowy but I was too young to recall these in any detail. 

Late December 1995 brought a significant polar low snow event to N Scotland and N Isles, and many western and eastern coastal parts as well as N Ireland, N Wales and NE Eng near the coast. The forecast was for a significant snowy break down from the SW by New Year Eve, alas most places just had freezing rain or very wet supercooled snow.

Late Dec 1996 was better in terms of widespread snowfall, thanks to an easterly flow, heavy snow showers banded together and crossed easily into western parts. New Years Eve was memorable here, for the blizzard conditions, the winds scooped the snow off the ground and made it look like continous snowfall, but we we had a few heavy showers on and off only, about 3 inches, The snow stuck around well into January.

Indeed the Decembers of 92-96 brought largely wintry weather at times towards months end, this theme continued by and large in the 00s 2000-2005 with exception of 2002. 

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Posted
  • Location: Shrewsbury
  • Location: Shrewsbury

Ok, here goes, Last 30 years in Shrewsbury area:

 

1994- a few wintry showers New Years Eve but the proper cold didnt arrive till New Years Day when we had a couple of cms fall

30 Dec 1995- we actually had 4cm of snow in Shrewsbury from the event that seemingly was rain or nothing nearly everywhere else. The opposite of what normally happens!

30-31 Dec 1996- had 8cm on the ground by late on the 31st which stuck around for over a week. 

28 Dec 2000- it did snow but not as much as in several places (only 2-3 cm), although it was still the most snow here since the 1996-7 event. (1998-2000 were truly awful) 31st was a major disappointment, more snow was forecast but it just rained (no 1995 repeat then).

30 Dec 2001- 2cm during the day that managed to stay till Jan 5th. Strange winter, only 5 days of falling snow- less than 2013/14 or 2019/20- but 7 days of lying snow (not beaten by any winter between 1996/7 and 2008/9).

31 Dec 2003- massive forecast fail. Predicted snow over large parts of the country, just hours of heavy rain (after the temp had been at freezing or below all day). @Summer18 I actually remember people around Leeds reporting snow but nowhere else- I think you got what we did in 1995 (also forecast as snow everywhere).

25 Dec 2004- only time I have ever seen snow fall and settle on Christmas Day (2010 had 15cm on the ground but nothing fell, 1993 light shower that didnt cover the ground, 1999 sleet in a practically snowless winter). Some light snow showers fell in the day but it was about 8pm that we got a heavier bunch coming from the NW that gave 3cm in an hour that stayed till the 27th. A brief event but better than the easterly fail the following Feb/Mar..

Late Dec 2005- the second easterly fail that year. 2005 here repeatedly had brilliant synoptics that produced rubbish, this cold easterly gave a slight dusting on the 28th of Dec and the night of 29/30th we were forecast 5-10cm... it started snowing lightly in the evening, had about 1cm at midnight and woke up to rain and no snow at 8am. 

2010- the mild air arrived on the 27th ahead of the precip on the 28th which was all rain and removed the snow cover. Very disappointing breakdown but it was a memorable month. Considering what had happened before nowhere near as big a let down as 2005 or um, early Dec 2022.

26-27 Dec 2014- a strange one. A bit of a 30 Dec 1995 in a way. There was snow forecast for most places as I recall. Had been visiting in laws in Surrey that day (26th) and was driving home in the evening. Down south it was 5C and raining, when I got to Birmingham about 8pm it was between 0 and 1C on the car but still raining, though I could see bits of snow on some of the cars parked near the M6- it had obviously started as snow but why had it turned to rain? I wasnt hopeful given it how often it keeps snowing in Birmingham and raining in Shropshire. But it turned to snow at Telford and there was a cm or so of snow on the ground at home, which survived till the following afternoon when more rain showers arrived in the "cold air". But got a day of lying snow in 2014 from that one, which a lot of places did not (2014 beats 2022 in that respect unless we get a surprise the next 2 days...)

28 Dec 2017- a slight dusting to add to the big one of 8-11 Dec 

29-30 Dec 2020- 2020 did a 2014, we got a cm or so of snow in the last week of Dec that saved it being a year without lying snow. Not much but it saved 2020 in the snow stakes.

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