Past winters discussion

[Snowyowl9]

Late February 1996 gave some heavy snow from an atlantic system and a SWly which is always a bonus.

 

[damianslaw]

2 hours ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

chart from the christmas pudding now, 4 years ago today was snowy for me, east/west battle, 

A decent snowfall here - we had about 5 inches on a Saturday as well, however, it was the only measurable snowfall of the winter here. It came in the middle of a cold spell, and the snow stuck around for a few days, thawing gradually. Feb 12 was looking like a very cold month, but alas the second half was very mild, similar to 2009. Its a long time since we have seen a notably cold Feb. 1986 the last one. 1991 was very cold but not exceptionally so.. 1996 was cold without being very cold.

We've had a quite a few Februaries in recent years that have flipped mid month. 1994 delivered a mild first half and a much colder snowier second half. 2005 produced a mildish first half much colder second half. I've mentioned 2009 and 2012 cold first halves milder second halves.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

yeah, Damian, dosen't look snowy looking at it, and here remained generally cold after the snow, very foggy on 5th

Feb is definitely the month that's changed the most, used to guarantee snow here in 90's, not now

[cheese]

A few pictures from Leeds over the past 10 or so years.. (sorry if there are too many - I'm pretty bored right now!)

Christmas Day 2009:

Jan 2015:

March 2013:

Feb 2013:

Jan 2013:

Feb 2012:

Jan 2011:

December 2010:

 

November 2010:

February 2010:

Jan 2010:

Feb 2009:

December 2008:

March 2008:

Feb 2008:

Jan 2008:

Feb 2007:

March 2006:

 

Edited February 5, 2016 by cheese

[Weather-history]

8 hours ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

yeah, Damian, dosen't look snowy looking at it, and here remained generally cold after the snow, very foggy on 5th

Feb is definitely the month that's changed the most, used to guarantee snow here in 90's, not now

Februaries 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998 weren't exactly snow fests.

Only February 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999 had lying snow here during the month. 

Interestingly only February 2006 out of the 2000s didn't have at least one day of lying snow here.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Weather-history
.

[MP-R]

10 hours ago, cheese said:

A few pictures from Leeds over the past 10 or so years.. (sorry if there are too many - I'm pretty bored right now!)

Super shots! You do pretty well for snow there don't you, looks like you had decent falls in even January and February 2008! What were the dates?

[I remember Atlantic 252]

 

 

bring back good old winters and great bbc graphics!!!!!!! miss this weather

[damianslaw]

The period roughly 10-25 Feb 1994 was a very snowy one for many, with surprise snowfalls. I remember the BBC being caught out a few times, and they struggled with sudden short-term changes, especially around the 21/22 when tropical maritime air was forecast to surge forwards, alas it was held back and we ended up with trough disruption and heavy snowfall in central and northern parts - we recorded nearly a foot of snow. The easterly episode conincided with half term week.

Winter 93/94 over the northern half of the country was preety snowy overall and quite cold with lots of polar maritime air, indeed it was notably snowy on higher ground. It was a welcome winter in this respect for cold snow lovers, coming on the back of the snowless dry winter of 91/92, and largely mild winter of 92/93.

Looking back since then, we've had quite a few cold periods either at the end of Feb or early March , 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2013 thanks to northerly airstreams.

 

[Walsall Wood Snow]

On 04/02/2016 at 9:42 PM, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

yeah, Damian, dosen't look snowy looking at it, and here remained generally cold after the snow, very foggy on 5th

Feb is definitely the month that's changed the most, used to guarantee snow here in 90's, not now

You often talk about the 90s Winters being snowy and as someone who spent most of my childhood through that decade (4 when it started and 14 when it ended) I can't say I remember it that way. Sure we used to get snow at some point most of those Winters but to my memory it was usually short lived. With the exception of say February 1991 which I barely remember anyway most snow events during that decade at least round here rarely stuck around for more than a day or two or if any longer it was slowly thawing anyway, at least to my mind and you live in the same region so I don't know why you remember it differently. However frost was certainly more common back then and memories of my mum having to scrape the car windows in Winter seemed like an almost daily occurrence (I'm sure it wasn't though). To me snow seemed quite rare even back then though certainly not as rare as it has been these last three Winters. Though snow was much more in abundance in the Winters from 2008-2013 than it was during the 90s (Winter 1990-91 and maybe 1995-96 excepted).

[I remember Atlantic 252]

so much snow in 90's it was unreal, can't remember most of them as too young but, a lot I do, Dec '95 '96 '97, Nov '96, January 5th 1998, Feb 1994, 3rd Feb 1994, Feb '91, and '96, Dec 1990, 

[Walsall Wood Snow]

1 minute ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

so much snow in 90's it was unreal, can't remember most of them as too young but, a lot I do, Dec '95 '96 '97, Nov '96, January 5th 1998, Feb 1994, 3rd Feb 1994, Feb '91, and '96, Dec 1990, 

Yes but how long lasting were most of these events as I suspect most of them were short lived dumplings (Feb 91 and maybe a clue of others excepted) One of those I do remember well though and that was Nov 96 as it occured during my first year of secondary school and was the only time through my whole time of being there from Sep 96 to May 01 that I was ever sent home due to snow. I remember walking up there in quite deep snow because they hadn't decided to close for the day at first and when I got there me and the other pupils at to stand in the assembly hall and wait for what was looking more and more likely as most of the staff hadn't turned up. Then it was announced that school was called off and we could all go home and it was so exciting. Then I had to walk all the way back in deeper snow still as it was still snowing. However that night the dripping began and it went as soon as it came and the next day it was back to school. So you see as good as that event was it just didn't last. December 2000 was better because that lasted for a few days, but it occured during the Christmas holidays so no extra time off from school for that event. In fact I don't remember ever having had a day off school due to snow before Nov 96 since Feb 91. I somewhat remember Nov 93 but I don't remember school closing because of it, but maybe it did.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

to do really with health and safety laws changing, that's why schools close now with just 1cm snow! 0nly time I ever got sent home was the legendary 19th Nov '96

[damianslaw]

Remember the winters of the 90's very well. In the main snowfall events were mostly shortlived and not especially disruptive with some exceptions though

Early-Mid Feb 91- a very snowy cold period, disruptive snow for many especially the east, some places saw a 2 week cover and well over a foot.

Nov 1993 - a cold snowy easterly later in the month, not especially disruptive but noteworthy

Mid-late Feb 94 - disruptive snowfall for many, but did thaw quite quickly

Winter 95/96 - coldest winter of the 90s, lots of disruptive snowfall especially in late Jan and early Feb

Late Dec 96 - early Jan 97 - snowy easterlies and very cold, lengthy spell of lying snow

There were many 1-2 day events where snow fell heavy settled but then quickly disappeared, 8 Dec 90 a good example.

There were 7 winters that overall delivered little snow, only 90-91, 93-94, 95-96, 96-97 saw any especially lengthy cold snowy spells.

I was at school from 1990-1996 and I remember being sent home due to snow on 4 occasions only! 8 Feb 91, 23 Feb 94, 25 Jan 95 ( a 5 inch fall that thawed that evening!) and most memorably 5 Feb 96 - school closed for a week!

 

[Weather-history]

9 hours ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

 

 

bring back good old winters and great bbc graphics!!!!!!! miss this weather

 

 

[Weather-history]

Anyone remember the late January 1996 snow cover disappearance? 

That was a strange one, we had good falls on an easterly and left a good covering overnight Friday/Saturday. Something happened overnight that Saturday night because I notice the snow cover had lessened when I woke up Sunday morning and by Sunday afternoon, it had almost gone! Yet it was bone dry, no actual melt, the snow must have sublimated.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Weather-history
.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

1 hour ago, Weather-history said:

 

 

in these good days, bbc used to overestimate the Atlantic, dosen't seem to happen anymore, mild wins with a whimper

[damianslaw]

15 hours ago, Weather-history said:

Anyone remember the late January 1996 snow cover disappearance? 

That was a strange one, we had good falls on an easterly and left a good covering overnight Friday/Saturday. Something happened overnight that Saturday night because I notice the snow cover had lessened when I woke up Sunday morning and by Sunday afternoon, it had almost gone! Yet it was bone dry, no actual melt, the snow must have sublimated.

Remember the snowfall on the 27 Jan very well, it was a Saturday, we had about 3-4 inches. I don't remember a sudden thaw, but a gradual one, temps from the 28 Jan - 3 Feb hovered around 2-3 degree max, perhaps there were high dewpoints resulting in sublimation. Had we had a deeper cover I suspect it would haven't disappeared quite so quickly. Alas we had plenty more snowfalls to come, 5/6 Feb, 8 Feb, 18-20 Feb, 28 Feb/1 March, 12 March, late March and second week of April, May brought wintry sleety wet snow, and decent falls on higher ground.

 

 

[Polar Maritime]

 

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

 

legendary event this!

[Weather-history]

February 1999 was an interesting month, overall mild, it was not devoid of wintry weather. The Alps copped it this month where there were deadly avalanches

 

 

[damianslaw]

February 1999 delivered a decent 5 day northerly spell, I remember snow sticking around for a few days, but we had about 2 inch cover, nothing exceptional, but something all the same. It only affected the NE quarter of the Uk though - I was living in the NE England then.

 

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

 

 

good spell this, very snowy 17th!

[I remember Atlantic 252]

 

very heavy snow this day, quite deep as well, but transient, turned milder next day

[damianslaw]

The spells above were non-events here, Dec 97 we just saw a dry raw couple of days, I was in NE England at the time as well. Early Jan 98 brought a few sleety wet snow showers but nothing stuck, marginal temps, the fells had a good coating.

Edited February 12, 2016 by damianslaw

[Weather-history]

9 hours ago, damianslaw said:

The spells above were non-events here, Dec 97 we just saw a dry raw couple of days, I was in NE England at the time as well. Early Jan 98 brought a few sleety wet snow showers but nothing stuck, marginal temps, the fells had a good coating.

December 1997 for an easterly was a pathetic effort. Didn't even record a single frost during that period!