494 replies to this topic

[noggin]

I wondered, yesterday, if this is becoming an historic Winter. Then I just heard, on the t.v., that some people in Northumberland are saying that they haven't seen it this bad since 1947!

So, although we are only a third of the way through this Winter ( ) I wondered if it is stacking up to become one of the famous Winters, like 1947 and 1962/3.

What are the requirements for an historic Winter? Is it extremely low temperatures? Widespread snowfall? The longevity of the conditions? The geographical spread of the conditions? The level of disruption? Or does it require a combination of those things? Will the fact that we have been able to monitor it and dissect it in real-time on the internet make it more likely to be historical, in that it is now embedded in our psyches ( )?

Or, is it a case of only time will tell.

If anyone could spare a moment to post their thoughts on this, it would be very interesting!

Thank you!

[Nick L]

Bloody hell, is this winter really going to last til 2101?

[Solar Sausage]

nick2702, on 06 January 2010 - 11:53 , said:

Bloody hell, is this winter really going to last til 2101?

lol Must be global cooling!

[Mark Bayley]

nick2702, on 06 January 2010 - 11:53 , said:

Bloody hell, is this winter really going to last til 2101?

I think we would need to buy quite a few snow ploughs then


So far this has been the most memorable winter i have witnessed (17 years old) Long may it continue as it may take a good number of years for another one like this, make the most of it while we can!

Edited by mark bayley, 06 January 2010 - 11:57 .

[thewirral]

mark bayley, on 06 January 2010 - 11:57 , said:

I think we would need to buy quite a few snow ploughs then


So far this has been the most memorable winter i have witnessed (17 years old) Long may it continue as it may take a good number of years for another one like this, make the most of it while we can!

Agreed.

[Solar Sausage]

All sorted now, noggin...Couldn't resist a wee chortle though...

[kold weather]

Well no doubt people will talk about locally and stuff like that...so to start with, here in SE Essex its probably a little snowier then a normal winter but its not a historic here....

HOWEVER in the context of the broader picture, I think at least the first half of the winter will go down as historic, rather in the same vein as 81-82 with two thrust of cold in the south and one prolonged very severe spell in Scotland with some huge falls of snow...

Two main fals of snow thus far, one in December from a frontal system that swept in from the east, generally totals around 5-15cms but some places got high...and obviously the last 24hrs is another one, very hefty falls in quite a large part of the country, certainly is IMO one of the more excepitonal snow storm in the lasr 20 years for the country overall.

As for temps, whilst not as severe yet, it has been a generally cold, at times very cold start to the winter bar the first 10 days....should get a 30 day period close to 0C...

Historic, not yet...memorable, yeah I think so!

Edited by kold weather, 06 January 2010 - 12:00 .

[azores92]

its been the persistance of cold thats been memorable for me, not really the snowfall as such. we've had one significant fall(yesterday) to date, and a light covering in december, however, ponds around here have been frozen for weeks on end. its been a pretty good winter though, better than last years.

[drgl]

noggin, on 06 January 2010 - 11:47 , said:

I wondered, yesterday, if this is becoming an historic Winter. Then I just heard, on the t.v., that some people in Northumberland are saying that they haven't seen it this bad since 1947!

So, although we are only a third of the way through this Winter ( ) I wondered if it is stacking up to become one of the famous Winters, like 1947 and 1962/3.

What are the requirements for an historic Winter? Is it extremely low temperatures? Widespread snowfall? The longevity of the conditions? The geographical spread of the conditions? The level of disruption? Or does it require a combination of those things? Will the fact that we have been able to monitor it and dissect it in real-time on the internet make it more likely to be historical, in that it is now embedded in our psyches ( )?

Or, is it a case of only time will tell.

If anyone could spare a moment to post their thoughts on this, it would be very interesting!

Thank you!

Arhh, just the man!! Remmeber our talks of a pattern change? I've tyried searching the forum but seems all the really old stuff has gone? I'm sure we said back then from around now on may get interesting? Anyway, back OT, for it to stick in my mind i need huge dumpings of snow. I'll never forget some of the winters we had, power cuts, sledging in blizzards(PROPER blizzards!!), ice on the INSIDE of the glass, toilet FROZEN!!!

[noggin]

Pete Tattum, on 06 January 2010 - 11:58 , said:

All sorted now, noggin...Couldn't resist a wee chortle though...

Did I really put 2101 in the title?

Blimey.........that'd be some Winter....92 years!

[noggin]

drgl, on 06 January 2010 - 12:03 , said:

Arhh, just the man!! Remmeber our talks of a pattern change? I've tyried searching the forum but seems all the really old stuff has gone? I'm sure we said back then from around now on may get interesting?

Indeed we did! And didn't we take some flak!

How exciting it all is.....I am already wondering what next Summer and Winter will bring.

OT, though....I think age will have something to do with the "historical or not" aspect. My daughters are 18 and 21, and this has been the snowiest, prolonged coldiest Winter they have ever had. I am sure that they will use it as a benchmark in the future.........

......"I remember the long, long Winter of 2009/2101 (!). Just in the first 5 weeks we had two big dumpings of snow. Old Ma and 1 daughter had to walk to work and other daughter's college was closed. There were no busses and the local shop ran out of bread and milk. Old Ma had to buy 3 bags of sand from B&Q to fling over the path and drive. Bristol Water couldn't repair the leaking water pipe in the front garden because of all the snow, despite the fact that they were supposed to have mended it before the other lot of snow in December. Aaarrrrr, that were what I call a Winter."

[Solar Sausage]

In a way, yes. I do think that this winter may go down as an Historic one.

Speaking as someone who's been in Sneckie for twenty-one years, I can honestly say that this spell of widespead lying snow, even at Sea Level (which looks like stretching to perhaps 25 days or more?) is quite definitely the longest since 1981-82.

What that means is that anyone younger that about 31, has no memory of the like ever having happened before; and, with such conditions being unlikely to be repeated for another 15yrs or so, that memory may well extend to 46yrs old!

[johnholmes]

I don't think there is any doubt that the first half-up to mid Jan (with no major change likely before then) must be fairly historic for a good many parts of the country.
here for example the 3rd highest ever snowfall in well over 50 years of records, more snow days already and air frosts than most (not yet checked the actual figures to see if its the most) years since I came here in 1990.
Other parts have had no real break in the cold and for a good many-snow, from mid December-Scotland and also the hilly areas of northern England.
I was at about 1000ft above Sheffield on the very edge of the city limits over a week ago and the snow from prior to Christmas was still there, all the fields covered, piles 2ft+ at the end of drives, and the snow from last week was already settling in again.
So a summary =yes it must go down for fairly large areas of the country as one of the coldest and snowiest FIRST halves of a winter probably for several decades.

Edited by johnholmes, 06 January 2010 - 12:41 .

[Solar Sausage]

noggin, on 06 January 2010 - 12:14 , said:

Did I really put 2101 in the title?

Blimey.........that'd be some Winter....92 years!

No mind. Length isn't important!

[stewfox]

kold weather, on 06 January 2010 - 11:59 , said:

Historic, not yet...memorable, yeah I think so!

We are not yet half way through the winter so agree 'not yet'

Had a foot of snow last 24hrs but that makes the day memorable not maybe the winter in 20 yrs time

For myself I can say (age 44) 79, 81/82, 86 and 87 stand out . Clearly 62/63 47 or 1740 etc etc if you can go back that far.

Others will remember years that have more local themes.

The point for me at least is those years just come of the toungue. Although Feb 09 was cold snowy here first half it wont go down or be 'remembered' in 20yrs by me (assuming I can still remember my name by then)

So duration intensity of cold amount of snow all play apart. Also you have to factor in wide spread UK disruption

Of course if this does become a historic winter , cant say kids today dont know what a real winter was like.

Of course there will always be people who say it was average -20c /50ft snow drifts in 1947 but we have stats now like people would always say Jessie Owens (1930s) was the fastest runner of all time (without time keeping the argument would go on)

Edited by stewfox, 06 January 2010 - 12:43 .

[noggin]

Pete Tattum, on 06 January 2010 - 12:40 , said:

No mind. Length isn't important!

Is that what they tell you, Pete?

[Solar Sausage]

noggin, on 06 January 2010 - 12:49 , said:

Is that what they tell you, Pete?

Nyet. That's what I tell them!

[cheeky_monkey]

stewfox, on 06 January 2010 - 12:41 , said:

Although Feb 09 was cold snowy here first half it wont go down or be 'remembered' in 20yrs by me (assuming I can still remember my name by then)

I agree this winter has shown up 2008-9 for the winter it really was ..much a do about nothing...so far it is much more like the winters of my childhood..although we have yet to see a severe cold spell..with sub zero maximums and high wind chill and some blowing snow...for me that would seal the deal on 2009-10 winter.

[Mr_Data]

Too early to call, winter 1981-82 was very notable but the second half of that winter was milder than the second half of winter 1974-75.

Another point about the winter 1981-82, there was a very mild spell just after the New Year, there hasn't been this time round. It did get somewhat milder around Boxing Day but not on the scale as New Year 1982, where Manchester recorded double digit maxima on 3 consecutive days, thre hasn't been a double digit maximum since 9th December and even the milder interlude recorded a maximum of just 6C.

Edited by Mr_Data, 06 January 2010 - 13:03 .

[Snowyowl9]

cheeky_monkey, on 06 January 2010 - 13:01 , said:

I agree this winter has shown up 2008-9 for the winter it really was ..much a do about nothing...so far it is much more like the winters of my childhood..although we have yet to see a severe cold spell..with sub zero maximums and high wind chill and some blowing snow...for me that would seal the deal on 2009-10 winter.

Have to totally disagree with that,just had our heaviest
snowfall since January 1982(18inches then...) 13 inches now!!!!!
And theres no thaw in site this is going to last longer,and the coldest temps are still to come.

Edited by Snowyowl9, 06 January 2010 - 13:10 .