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Months that were mild, but still contained at least a widespread snow event


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Posted
  • Location: Coventry, 95m asl
  • Weather Preferences: Snow Nov - Feb. Thunderstorms, 20-29°C and sun any time!
  • Location: Coventry, 95m asl
Posted (edited)

Following December 2023 with the brief snow event for Midlands and north on the 2nd/3rd and it being mild with a CET of 7.0, I was wondering what other months were mild but still had at least one widespread enough snow event.

To class a month as mild, for any winter month, the CET should be above 5.5C, but for November anything above 6.5C would be high enough as in winter the same figure would be very mild. Spring months in particular i'm less interested in, but March 2023 and Aprils like 1981 / 1908 could be considered maybe if their CET are 6.0C or higher for March and April.

Other ones I can think of on the spot:

November 2021: A CET of 7.2C but some snow in the final few days, with about 3-4cm here on the 28th.

February 2019: Snow event in the south on the first day, had a CET of 6.9C.

January 2016: some snow for central areas on the 16-17th, with the month CET coming out at 5.5C

February 2007: A decent amount of snow on the 7-8th, the monthly CET was 6.0C.

Edit: December 2000 just about another one, CET of 5.4C then snow end of month.

Those who I think would have a better idea of pre 21st century months: @Summer8906 @Thundery wintry showers and @damianslaw , contributions most welcome!

Edited by Metwatch
  • Like 1
Posted
  • Location: Hampshire
  • Weather Preferences: Warm-by-day sunny thundery summers , short cold snowy winters.
  • Location: Hampshire
Posted (edited)

Hmm... difficult as most snow events tend to occur during generally cold months, but a famous one was January 6th 1994.

The month was mostly wet and fairly mild (though not silly-mild) but it did feature a sudden rain-to-snow event on January 6th in which rain suddenly turned to snow and continued for an hour or two before leaving a good cover.

The day after wasn't that cold though and the snow steadily thawed during the next 2 days, even before the next lot of rain arrived three days later.

It looked like a standard Atlantic low: it didn't have a notably potent northerly behind it but it had a cold-ish NW-ly, and perhaps in those days it was easier to get snow out of this kind of synoptic setup. The legendary "cold zonality", often talked about but rarely seen these days.

I have a feeling, from previous threads, that the 1920s were often rather like this: a lot of mild months but a few scattered heavy snow events from time to time.

Edited by Summer8906
Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
Posted

February 1920 was very mild with a CET of 6.0°C but there were snowfalls around the 19th/20th

NOAA_1_1920022018_2.png

Doesn't look great but the rain did turn to snow.

4 inches for parts of NW Leicestershire

2 to 3 inches for Birmingham

 

  • Thanks 1
Posted
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
  • Location: Powys Mid Wales borders.
Posted (edited)

January 2018 a far better month to the january just gone for snow..

image.thumb.png.01818b6517e4203cde523c61ae6d9b6c.png

February 2007 is the best eg I ve ever seen though..

Edited by Snowyowl9
Posted
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Continental winters & summers.
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
Posted

December 1997 is another one going back a bit. The brief easterly midmonth had a snowy breakdown.

Its still amazing how that whole spell just fell apart…

Posted
  • Location: North Hampshire
  • Weather Preferences: I prefer summer to winter and the hotter and more thundery, the better!
  • Location: North Hampshire
Posted (edited)

February 2004.  Had snow in various areas at the end of the month

I think December 2002 had snow in some areas on the 10th

22 February 1995.  This was a very mild month but many areas had a thundersnow event along a squall line, from a seemingly normal Atlantic low.  This gave a covering in many places

Edited by SummerShower
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted
  • Location: Scunthorpe
  • Location: Scunthorpe
Posted

Dec 1993 CET 5.5
White Christmas otherwise a mild month

Jan 1999 CET 5.5
Widespread band of snow pushed NW to SE on 11th to 12th

Feb 1999 CET 5.3
Almost qualifies but was generally a mild month but with cold and at times snowy week in 2nd week of month

Jan 2008 CET 6.6
A bit of snow off an easterly early in the month and a brief northerly at the end of the month

Feb 2020 CET 6.3
Mild and wet month but a brief spell of persistent snow at the end of the month

Dec 2021 CET 6.4
Brief northerly gave some snow showers at the start of the month. Was about as good as that winter got. Rest was mild.

Mar 2023 CET 7.0
Some snow between around 7th and 10th, otherwise a mild month

  • Like 1
Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
Posted

End of March 1952

 

4th April 1961, this occurred during an exceptionally mild spell from February-April 1961, looks similar to what happened in early February this year

image.thumb.png.22e02c499bf3b2e9d5c70e10fef78135.png

 

I have seen one report saying it was Nottingham's first snow since February 1960 and Liverpool's first snow of 1961 

 

  • Thanks 1
Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
Posted

Feb 2007 first month that springs to mind, snow widespread in central parts in an otherwise mild month.

Jan 95 another one but the snow reserved for north of england, more than the south I believe.

Such months are a rarity, widespread UK snowfalls tend to come from either cold easterlies which signify long lasting cold, or cyclonic cold set ups which again are associated with longer lasting cold. 

 

Posted
  • Location: South Derbyshire
  • Location: South Derbyshire
Posted

This month nearly did Thursday before last but it went bust just before.

December 2023 

April 2022

November 2021

February 2019

November 2015

Posted
  • Location: North Leeds
  • Location: North Leeds
Posted

This month on the 8th left a decent covering but it’s still a month for the bin.

We had 5 days of consecutive snow last March  with probably the heaviest snow here since the Beast from the East on the 10th. 

We had some snow on the 3rd January 2022 and 19th February 2022, both mild months. 

January 2016 saw a few days of snow mid month.

Boxing Day 2014 we had heavy snow. In fact that winter was a decent one for snow here although poor in other parts, with several falls in January and February. 

I remember waking up snow cover one Saturday morning in February 2011.

 

Posted
  • Location: Nottingham
  • Location: Nottingham
Posted

I had snow twice in February 2020 (A big one on the 10th and a little bit on the 29th). That month was notoriously mild and wet in most of the country

Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
Posted

Did anybody mention January 1988? 

  • 10 months later...
Posted
  • Location: Coventry, 95m asl
  • Weather Preferences: Snow Nov - Feb. Thunderstorms, 20-29°C and sun any time!
  • Location: Coventry, 95m asl
Posted

November 2024 could be considered.

A CET of 7.2C same as Nov 2021, but with some widespread snow in the middle of the month. A decent snow pack lasting for about 5 days most of Wales and the North Midlands which I also experienced.

image.thumb.png.81b45f9d47969bd5d4c2def2ce807ee4.png

Posted
  • Location: Hampshire
  • Weather Preferences: Warm-by-day sunny thundery summers , short cold snowy winters.
  • Location: Hampshire
Posted

 cheeky_monkey Was there any snow in January 1988? (sorry for the late reply)

Posted
  • Location: Hampshire
  • Weather Preferences: Warm-by-day sunny thundery summers , short cold snowy winters.
  • Location: Hampshire
Posted (edited)

 Weather-history Thanks. Looks like a couple of short transient events further north. Absolutely nothing down here - the only seasonal weather we got all month was a cold foggy day on Sat 16th and a cold sunny day on Sun 17th, IIRC. Didn't even feature the relatively frequent cold and bright Pm interludes of that other wet and stormy January of the 80s, namely 1984.

The first of many disappointing Januaries since, sadly. We did get an interesting sudden change from very warm and sunny (21C?) to cold with lying snow at around 200m from April 8th-9th though - the most interesting wintry weather of the entire "winter" !

Edited by Summer8906
Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
Posted

I was christened as a baby on a warm sunny day, 22nd April 1950. Four days later, it snowed heavily in Surrey, with Eden noting 15-20 cm of lying snow above the 100m contour from Wiltshire to Kent.   

Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
Posted (edited)

 Summer8906 There was a significant snow fall as far south as the northern home counties on the 22nd January.  However, just cold rain in north west Surrey!

I remember a wet (non settling) snow event one morning during the Easter hols in 1988, probably around the 8th/9th April as you mention?

Edited by Don

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