“Second Beast From The East” 2018

[Summer18]

Of course everyone remembers the first “Beast From The East” In early March 2018 but what’s everyone’s recollections of the second the Beast From East from St Patrick’s Day weekend that year?

Due to the stronger sun I don’t recall the snow lasting as long as the first event or the snow drifts being anywhere near as high but this was still quite a potent event.  

I remember the Saturday being bitterly cold and we had snow showers on and off all day. After dark the snow was really heavy and by Sunday morning we had around 10 centimetres. It had all melted by Monday afternoon though. The whole event was tame compared to the first Beast From The East but if it occurred this year it would be definitely more memorable! 

[damianslaw]

It was a notable event still, yes the Saturday was a cold raw day with a few light snow showers, a band of heavy snow arrived in the early hours of the Sunday, it was powdery in nature. We had about 4 inches, it stuck in shaded places through the day as temps struggled to get much above freezing.

Mid March snow has been very common, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2008 (well a bit later at easter), 2013 and 2018. In recent years it has been more absent though. 

[Don]

I actually received a bit more snow from the 'mini' BFTE than the main event.  Friday was very mild and sunny around 13C, but by Saturday morning, temperatures were close to zero with snow showers.  Heavy snow was forecast for the afternoon and evening, but turned out to be mainly light, with the heavier stuff arriving during the early hours of Sunday morning.  Sunday was cold and cloudy with temps barely above freezing and no thaw.  There was a further period of snow during the evening.  However, a thaw kicked in on Monday as temperatures recovered.

[Don]

A few photos from the Sunday, taken where I used to live in Ash, Surrey.

[damianslaw]

 Don Evidence that in the right circumstances mid March can still bring full snow cover through the day, but you need no sunshine. and a cold pool overhead with notable snow, a couple of cms no good.

Late March 13 saw snow stick in many valley bottom fields out of the sun as well, but in it, the snow was able to thaw to a degree but not fully. Latest example of late season long lasting snow.

[A Face like Thunder]

 damianslaw late March 2013 saw a disaster in the N Wales hills with the loss of many sheep and lambs due to snowfall. I was in Chester Sat 23rd and the snow was thick on the ground in the city. Remarkably there was no snow in Crewe.

Edited March 19 by A Face like Thunder

[Weather-history]

Timelapses I took from that period

 

 

 

 

 

[SqueakheartLW]

18 hours ago, damianslaw said:

Mid March snow has been very common, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2008 (well a bit later at easter), 2013 and 2018. In recent years it has been more absent though. 

 damianslaw

Snow in March nearly always comes after a cold winter or one that featured several cold snaps but on occasions it can crop up in other years.

Of the years you mentioned I know that 1984/85, 1986/87, 1993/94, 1995/96, 2000/01, 2005/06, 2012/13 and 2017/18 were all either cold winters or had several colder snaps within them.

1979/80 and 2007/08 not so cold winters and 2007/08 was a milder one.

I often think there are similarities between 2000/01, 2005/06 and 2017/18. All of them featured a SSW event in the mid to late winter period. All of them featured colder weather during the winter itself and had snow roughly in the same parts at the end of the winter and into March as well.

2000/01 - Snow 23rd Feb to 3rd March then again 17th to 21st March

2005/06 - Snow 24th Feb to 5th March then again 11th to 20th March

2017/18 - Snow 26th Feb to 3rd March then again 17th to 19th March

[Don]

4 minutes ago, SqueakheartLW said:

2000/01 - Snow 23rd Feb to 3rd March then again 17th to 21st March

2005/06 - Snow 24th Feb to 5th March then again 11th to 20th March

2017/18 - Snow 26th Feb to 3rd March then again 17th to 19th March

They would be seen as dream winters these days with all the crap we have to endure now! 

[Metwatch]

Had a good 4-6cm here, then a max of -1.2°C. Impressive in modern days for mid March when you can easily get the first 20°C of the year by that point for many areas, and that was the case in 1990 and 2005 in parts of the country with date records 17-19th March reaching 21-22°C.

Probably the only time I liked seeing the snow that late in mid March as 4 weeks later that wonderful warmth set in then the following May and most of the summer were very lovely.

2 photos around Coventry I've found:

[Summer18]

This was in between the showers on Saturday afternoon, a few hours later everything was white over. 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

mini blizzards, definite smaller version of main beast, enough to cancel Stafford half marathon

[Metwatch]

44 minutes ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

enough to cancel Stafford half marathon

Interestingly that was also cancelled in Coventry

[damianslaw]

 Metwatch I took part in the Redcar half marathon 11 or 12 March 2006 in a blizzard, sub zero windchill, freezing!

[reef]

This event was another failure here, just like the first BFTE. We managed just 0.5cm of snow (1.0cm in the first event) and I remember thinking "How can the same bad luck happen twice?". But it did!

It was cold though. The 17th and 18th had maxes of 2.2C and 1.6C, which is notable for so late in the month. Apart from 24th March 2013 which saw a max of 2.3C, no other date later than this in the Spring has a low max of less than 3.4C.

4½ weeks later on the 19th April it was 26.1C - the earliest max above 25C on record for us.

Edited March 21 by reef

[Don]

There was also the possibility of a 3rd BFTE later in March, with some very cold model outputs.  However, it didn't come to fruition.

[Summer18]

 Don I do remember snow on Easter Monday actually, it was a very interesting Spring that’s for sure!

[Don]

 Summer18 Yes, some places did get some snow that Easter.  Darn sarth just heavy cold rain!