February 1996 cold and snowy

[damianslaw]

Time for a Feb 96 dedicated thread. A month I bang on about all the time, as it delivered the heaviest single fall of snow in my lifetime here,  (since 1978), 18 inches 5-6 February.

It's now 28 years ago, the calandar the same as this year and it was a leap year. 

It was a cold though not severely cold month, episodic cold on and off.

It started cold dry and frosty under high pressure, then we had the occluded front that became slow moving on the 5/6 Feb, forced back east by the cold high. Milder air invaded from the SW by the 10th, and the following 7 days were quite mild and wet. Cold polar air came back by the 18th, a bitter NE wind by 20th and heavy snow showers. The rest of the month was rather cold and raw... leading into a cold easterly dominated March.

Good to read other's memories and thoughts on this month. 

Some mention the 11th Jan 87 countryfile forecast as epic, the 4th Feb 96 was equally good for here, snow wise.. but temps far higher. 

[SqueakheartLW]

 damianslaw

Depends which side of the country you were on for how good the snow was in 1996. It was great for you living in the west of the UK but over here in the east we only saw snow off the cold blast from the 19th.

I did much better off the December and January snow events in winter 1995/96 and even got more in the March and April than I saw in the February.

Edited February 4 by SqueakheartLW

[damianslaw]

 SqueakheartLW Yes the emphasis on Feb 96 from a Lake District perspective. Many in southern and eastern parts didn't see much snow at all, the 18-20th being the only real snowy spell. 

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

had lots of snow and remember most 90's events, but not this month, must have missed out, or just had a dusting

[damianslaw]

 I remember Atlantic 252 Could well be a synoptic we see second half of this February.