Favourite christmas weather memories 24-31 Dec

[damianslaw]

Hope ok to post this in the winter thread rather than historic.. I feel it may become lost if post it there as that thread sees little traffic..

Anyhow with christmas approaching - would be good to share favourite weather memories of christmas yesteryear, specifically period 24-31 Dec, not just christmas day itself.

Traditionally it is far more likely to be atlantic westerly driven, with wind, rain and mild weather, rather than cold with snow or severe frost. My favourites from a cold snow lakeland perspective:

For snowy landscape, my favourite 24-31 Dec probably 2009, consistently cold, not much fresh snow, but everywhere was coated with a decent cover with just a slight thaw on Boxing Day.

2010 24-27th Dec was excellent with severe cold and a 3 cm snowfall on christmas day but fizzled out 28th.

2000 also very good, turned cold on christmas day, heavy snow overnight 27/28 and ice days thereafter.

For cold overall, 1995 hands down, ice days and cold throughout until 1 Jan.

1993 started cold with some snow, but fell apart by the 28th.

2005 was seasonal with cold and a bit of snow.

1992, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2001 very good for frosty weather, 1996 for the New Year eve snow especially.

2004 brought a 2 day cold spell timed 25-26th and a white christmas here. 

Only 2020 out of the last 12 was good on the consistently cold front, 2014, 2017- best of a bad bunch, mostly very mild and just grey and wet...

My memories of 80s winters are mainly mild and wet but they fade pre 86.. 81 obviously very snowy, 85 was good with a cold week. 

97 and 98 my least favourite, stormy! 

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by damianslaw

[SummerShower]

As someone who likes either cold/wintry or stormy in the winter, there are a few that stick out.

1995.  Even down in the south, it was very cold.  No snow but it felt very seasonable, and the cold wasn't at the same level as further north so could be enjoyed.  The buzz of knowing snow wasn't far away was great.  The will it, won't it scenario.. it didn't here, of course!

1996 was probably better here as there was an official white Christmas from what my eyes saw.  Lasted into the new year, with many (mostly minor) snowfalls.

I seem to recall a beautiful gale on Christmas eve 1989, and it was very stormy beforehand as well.  

Both 2009 and 2010 were cold and seasonable with snow on the ground.  I remember I kept slipping over on my way back from the pub on Xmas eve 2009.  It didn't have the same feel as those of 95 or 96 and I think this is because I knew those cold spells were fading at the time (though 09/10 came back less than a week later).  

2013 was awesome as well.  Most focused on the night into xmas eve, though it deserves a mention.  Tree damage, and flooding in places.  Would certainly have been a named storm had it occurred now.  Oh how I love a southerly gale, ahead of the main cold front - they seem to have more oomph in this area.

I have to say that I feel an xmas with frost and freezing fog would be very seasonal too, but I've never actually experienced one!.  Maybe in the early 90s there was 1 but memories then are quite hazy as I was a child then.

Edited December 19, 2023 by SummerShower

[damianslaw]

31 minutes ago, SummerShower said:

As someone who likes either cold/wintry or stormy in the winter, there are a few that stick out.

1995.  Even down in the south, it was very cold.  No snow but it felt very seasonable, and the cold wasn't at the same level as further north so could be enjoyed.  The buzz of knowing snow wasn't far away was great.  The will it, won't it scenario.. it didn't here, of course!

1996 was probably better here as there was an official white Christmas from what my eyes saw.  Lasted into the new year, with many (mostly minor) snowfalls.

I seem to recall a beautiful gale on Christmas eve 1989, and it was very stormy beforehand as well.  

Both 2009 and 2010 were cold and seasonable with snow on the ground.  I remember I kept slipping over on my way back from the pub on Xmas eve 2009.  It didn't have the same feel as those of 95 or 96 and I think this is because I knew those cold spells were fading at the time (though 09/10 came back less than a week later).  

2013 was awesome as well.  Most focused on the night into xmas eve, though it deserves a mention.  Tree damage, and flooding in places.  Would certainly have been a named storm had it occurred now.  Oh how I love a southerly gale, ahead of the main cold front - they seem to have more oomph in this area.

I have to say that I feel an xmas with frost and freezing fog would be very seasonal too, but I've never actually experienced one!.  Maybe in the early 90s there was 1 but memories then are quite hazy as I was a child then.

1992 was cold and frosty under high pressure, no snow. 

[johncam]

1978 was brilliant up here , the local motorway was closed M8 , think it was still the A8 then you could walk down the motorway for miles not a car to be seen ,had 3-4 feet drifts , was a magical time ,bitter cold, -5C by day -10C at night.real winter weather .

[damianslaw]

4 minutes ago, johncam said:

1978 was brilliant up here , the local motorway was closed M8 , think it was still the A8 then you could walk down the motorway for miles not a car to be seen ,had 3-4 feet drifts , was a magical time ,bitter cold, -5C by day -10C at night.real winter weather .

Year I was born, so no memories, but I believe a blizzard hit here New Years Eve and New Years Day. Not seen anything like that at New Year since, though New Years Eve 96 brought blizzard showers, but not frontal.

Can imagine how interesting 78 was seeing the jet sink further and further south... 

[Summer of 95]

17 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

1992 was cold and frosty under high pressure, no snow. 

2006, that was foggy and frosty. So was the run up to Christmas 1994 (it suddenly turned milder late on the 24th)

[johncam]

8 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Year I was born, so no memories, but I believe a blizzard hit here New Years Eve and New Years Day. Not seen anything like that at New Year since, though New Years Eve 96 brought blizzard showers, but not frontal.

Can imagine how interesting 78 was seeing the jet sink further and further south... 

Think it started here on the 28th and snow then snow showers lasted till the 1st 

[78/79]

Boxing Day 1970, we had about 6 inches of snow.   New Years Eve 1978  was a  cracker. A howling E/NE  wind  blowing a blizzard.

Edited December 19, 2023 by 78/79

[johncam]

1 hour ago, johncam said:

Think it started here on the 28th and snow then snow showers lasted till the 1st 

Just had a look back at the archive charts . The cold over western Russia was exceptional and another thing temps over Barents were bitter as well. Different times indeed .

[damianslaw]

1 hour ago, Summer of 95 said:

2006, that was foggy and frosty. So was the run up to Christmas 1994 (it suddenly turned milder late on the 24th)

2006 was cold and foggy, it eased sharp by the 27th. A dank sort of cold. 1994 christmas week was just mild and wet, but turned cold and snowy at New Year.

45 minutes ago, johncam said:

Just had a look back at the archive charts . The cold over western Russia was exceptional and another thing temps over Barents were bitter as well. Different times indeed .

We'd had a cold period since mid Nov. 1996 behaved quite similiar to 2010.. cold winters at each end.. also quite dry and cold throughout. 

[TheOgre]

2010, 2014 and 2020 all quite sunny and snowy. Not any others I can think of.

[sundog]

New years  eve night 2009. In a pub with a group of friends.  Started snowing about an hr before midnight lasted an hr or 2.  It was the first snowfall  of that winter here. Perfect timing  for ringing in the new yr. The snow stayed on the ground for the following 10 days or so. 

[Norrance]

I am another that has been around for some time but cannot recall many white Christmases from the sixties through to the eighties even living in the Central Highlands despite the snowier overall winters. Conversely I do recollect a good number of white New Years including several in a row in the late seventies. It must have been coincidence or bad luck that in those years Christmases were green but the weather changed in the following few days.
My favourite white Christmas was definitely that of 1995 with a real blizzard (high winds, sub zero and drifting snow) from the evening of Hogmanay lasting until around noon on the first when the sky suddenly cleared, the sun came out and the wind died leading to a week of extreme frosts.

Since then I have seen several white Christmases with snow lying including 2004, 2009 and2010 but not many if any with snow falling on the day.

[Weather-history]

2000

Saw more snow during that week than during early January 1997 up to that point. Snow fell on Christmas Day. Last Saturday of the year was stunning. Very cold, clear blue skies and a mantle of snow. Breakdown was a big disappointment on New Year's Eve

 

1995: little snow but low minima. Christmas Day had a slight cover and there were crystal clear blue skies. Again breakdown was a big disappointment, the forecast looked spectacular a day or two before. 

 

One of my favourite BBC forecasts from that period

2004

Snowed Christmas evening and it was a white Boxing Day but the rest of the week was mild and unsettled

 

2014: rain to snow transition of the night of Boxing Day night with snow cover  lasting almost to New Year

 

2020

unexpectedly saw snow falling Christmas Day. Snow fall during early hours of 28th and it snowed New Year''s Eve

 

 

 

2001

Snowed on Boxing Day with snow falling on the Saturday to leave a covering that lasted into the New Year.

1996

Snow on the last two days of that year. By New Year's eve night, it was virtually continuous snow, the snow showers were that frequent. 

1993

Snowed Christmas morning but it never stuck.  Breakdown was nothing much here. Did snow New Year's Eve and had a white start to New Year.

 

2009, 2010: snow on the ground for Christmas Day but a thaw soon set in so most of festive week was nothing to write home about.

 

1985: cold between Christmas and New Year. Did snow on the 30th December. 

1992  cold frosty Christmas Day with some fog.

2008: freezing fog New Year's Eve leaving stunning rime for New Year's Day morning

 

[Stevew]

It's got be Christmas eve 1968. Living in the Midlands.

Played football with friends in the morning before the rain set in around lunchtime. 

The BBC weather forecast was only talking about rain. Then - from nowhere - the rain started to turn to snow. What a shock!

The ground was completely covered by tea time. Temperatures stuck at zero. The snow died out in the early hours.

I really though all Christmases were going to be like this!

[*Stormforce~beka*]

Only had one white Christmas. 2004. My first year at the in-laws ever when I met Daniel. It was snowing at the Christmas table at lunchtime and mil went out to build a snowman on the window sill. Had an evening walk in it. It was magical. My only ever white Christmas.

[cheeky_monkey]

white xmas days pretty thin on the ground...1981 was white but didn't snow on the day..actual snow on the day would be 1993 (light snow showers) 2000 rain turned to snow in the afternoon ..2004 odd snow shower in the morning and that's it..near misses 1978 snowed quite a bit between 20-22 Dec and again on Dec 31 but rained in between..1995 some snow before Xmas and again after Xmas but not much ..1984 snowed early hours of Boxing day 

This will be my first Xmas in Canada without snow if the forecast is right..last year it snowed for 2-3 hrs on Xmas morning here with the temp of -20c..this year forecast is for sunny and +1c

[damianslaw]

17 hours ago, cheeky_monkey said:

white xmas days pretty thin on the ground...1981 was white but didn't snow on the day..actual snow on the day would be 1993 (light snow showers) 2000 rain turned to snow in the afternoon ..2004 odd snow shower in the morning and that's it..near misses 1978 snowed quite a bit between 20-22 Dec and again on Dec 31 but rained in between..1995 some snow before Xmas and again after Xmas but not much ..1984 snowed early hours of Boxing day 

This will be my first Xmas in Canada without snow if the forecast is right..last year it snowed for 2-3 hrs on Xmas morning here with the temp of -20c..this year forecast is for sunny and +1c

Christmas Day 2010 was the last proper white christmas here, i.e. more than fleeting showers, a surprise snowfall between 10.30am and 12pm. A 3cm fall. Perfect timing.

I think 2017 may have brought a flurry before the day was out.

Going further back, 2004, delivered a wet frontal snow event, only about 1-2 inches, very borderline, but it was continuous.

2001 brought wintry showers and snow flurries.

1993 possibly brought snow showers as well.

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by damianslaw

[A Face like Thunder]

Christmas Day 1970- returning from the Midnight church service in Surrey with thick snow falling. This caused travel chaos, even at that late hour and resulted in the truest White Christmas I can remember.

Christmas Day 1981 - a White Christmas for all but the purists, an Alpine scene of lying snow, but no fresh snowfall on the day (Surrey).

Christmas Day 1987 - the warmest CD I've ever encountered (Surrey)

Christmas Day 1966 - a gorgeous winter's day, no snow but wall-to-wall sunshine (Surrey).

Least favourite:

Christmas Day 1990 - my first on my own in Blackpool and the weather was atrocious all day

Christmas Eve 1997 - a terrifying return journey from Lancaster to Blackpool in the gales which affected the NW of England that evening and caused misery to many on Christmas Day due to wind-related power cuts.

New Years Eve 1995 - the ice and intense cold of Christmas week may have been fun for some, but not for the motorists like myself heading home on NYE on the A34, M40 and M6. The journey was horrendous, with the hard shoulders littered with cars with gunge all over their windscreens and 'nipples' failing to wash the windscreens down because they had got frozen and silted up. 

 

[Relativistic]

I started paying attention to the weather in 2009 and have spent some fraction of each Decembers since in Essex. Despite having witnessed notable cold and snowfalls in the lead-up to Christmas in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2022, I've never seen a Christmas with proper snowcover. We had some remaining icy slush in 2009 and 2010, and a return to mild weather in 2012, 2017, and 2022. Would be interested to hear from older members when the last proper white Christmas around here was. One day..

As for the period in question, I recall some good frosty/icy spells in 2014, 2020, and perhaps a couple of others.

[Summer8906]

On 19/12/2023 at 20:48, damianslaw said:

Year I was born, so no memories, but I believe a blizzard hit here New Years Eve and New Years Day. Not seen anything like that at New Year since, though New Years Eve 96 brought blizzard showers, but not frontal.

Can imagine how interesting 78 was seeing the jet sink further and further south... 

I was too young to understand weather patterns, but I do remember a cold, wet Christmas Day in 1978 and a dry New Year's Eve with snow promised. Even then the "will it, won't it" thought went through my head (I must have experienced a previous disappointment though can't remember what it was specifically) but of course it did and New Year's Day 1979 featured continuous snow and a winter wonderland.

1978/9 was probably the snowiest winter of my lifetime, I remember repeated snow (was in NW England at that time) though my memories of it are much hazier than 1981/2 and particularly 1985, 1986 and 1987.

As for memorable Christmas periods, I'd concur with most. In chronological order:

Very few in the 80s, aside from Christmas Day 1981 which was sunny and cold (and the period before, but that's OT for this thread). I actually can't remember if there was snow on the ground; I think there was a light cover. Aside from 1981, the Decembers of the 80s were mostly distinctly unseasonal. Also the change to somewhat colder, somewhat sunnier weather on Boxing Day 1984 following a persistent mild period - a preview of what was to come in January 1985.

1992 for its sunny, frosty weather - very seasonal though with no snow

1995 for the cold, and the crystal-clear blue skies and Arctic winds of Christmas Day. Unfortunately it was just freezing rain down here at the end of the year, beginning a three week mild interlude in an otherwise cold and fairly snowy winter.

1996 for the persistent cold and frequent, though mostly light snow.

2000 and 2001 for the short, but quite potent, cold spells with some snow.

A somewhat forgotten one: the end of 2003 featured a cold cyclonic period which seemed to come out of nowhere, with a predominatly Atlantic setup. Seems a cold-ish NWly stagnated and gave some very cold nights and later, cold days. I was in the NW that year, but down here I think it was much wetter with southerly tracking lows.

2009 featured a wet interlude with average temps in the 24-31 Dec period, so no particularly special memories in that week (unlike early in the new year).

2010 for the back end of the cold and snowy spell, though most of the snow had gone by the last week of the year.

It does seem like the 15-year period starting around 1995 was much better for end-of-year wintry weather than anything either before or since.

Edited December 26, 2023 by Summer8906

[Penrith Snow]

On 19/12/2023 at 20:48, damianslaw said:

Year I was born, so no memories, but I believe a blizzard hit here New Years Eve and New Years Day. Not seen anything like that at New Year since, though New Years Eve 96 brought blizzard showers, but not frontal.

Can imagine how interesting 78 was seeing the jet sink further and further south... 

It was New Years day 1979, bitter but mostly dry easterly winds across Cumbria on New Years Eve became a slack westerly on New Years Day as a minor through developed over Ireland, the air was still very cold and snow showers formed over the Irish Sea during the morning and pushed inland during the afternoon merging to give hours of heavy snow.

The whole of NW England was affected from Carlisle to Manchester, in Penrith 17cms fell with 25cms at Shap, as usual in such set ups the Southern Lakes saw the heaviest snow with 40cms in the Ambleside and Coniston area.

Manchester was brought to a standstill by a 16cms fall and both Manchester and Liverpool airports were closed.

A friend of mine spent the night in her car on the M6 near Charnock Richard the motorway being completely blocked for hours.

1978/79 is the true benchmark winter.

Andy

[Rob 79812010]

12 minutes ago, Penrith Snow said:

It was New Years day 1979, bitter but mostly dry easterly winds across Cumbria on New Years Eve became a slack westerly on New Years Day as a minor through developed over Ireland, the air was still very cold and snow showers formed over the Irish Sea during the morning and pushed inland during the afternoon merging to give hours of heavy snow.

The whole of NW England was affected from Carlisle to Manchester, in Penrith 17cms fell with 25cms at Shap, as usual in such set ups the Southern Lakes saw the heaviest snow with 40cms in the Ambleside and Coniston area.

Manchester was brought to a standstill by a 16cms fall and both Manchester and Liverpool airports were closed.

A friend of mine spent the night in her car on the M6 near Charnock Richard the motorway being completely blocked for hours.

1978/79 is the true benchmark winter.

Andy

I remember going back to school and we all got sent home because of burst pipes. Had another 3 weeks off. I'd never seen so much snow. Jan 2010 delivered similar depth but think 79 edged it. Oh so rare for Manchester. Irish Sea always our best chance but normally just  a couple of cm. Sometimes the stars align  I guess

[Rob 79812010]

Also, 2004 we had a beauty on Christmas day evening. 3 inches and everyone out in road

[Rob 79812010]

30 minutes ago, Penrith Snow said:

It was New Years day 1979, bitter but mostly dry easterly winds across Cumbria on New Years Eve became a slack westerly on New Years Day as a minor through developed over Ireland, the air was still very cold and snow showers formed over the Irish Sea during the morning and pushed inland during the afternoon merging to give hours of heavy snow.

The whole of NW England was affected from Carlisle to Manchester, in Penrith 17cms fell with 25cms at Shap, as usual in such set ups the Southern Lakes saw the heaviest snow with 40cms in the Ambleside and Coniston area.

Manchester was brought to a standstill by a 16cms fall and both Manchester and Liverpool airports were closed.

A friend of mine spent the night in her car on the M6 near Charnock Richard the motorway being completely blocked for hours.

1978/79 is the true benchmark winter.

Andy

Do you know why Ambleside area gets so much given its elevation?? Beginning Dec 23 I noticed northern lakes didn't get as much. There's a science am assuming