Yes Philip, very interesting your figures. I posted earlier in the year
saying that there have several occasions this winter when it has rained in
my part of Surrey at 2C to 3C and that in my opinion in winters say in the
1940s or 1950s and most certainly in Victorian times the temperature would
have been several degrees lower producing snow. Thus cold is now just a snap
which does not drastically reduce sea temperatures during winter and thus
helps to perpetuate the warming.
The recent air stream had a fair bit of a westerly component so probably
spent rather longer over the sea, the snow cover was rather thin in many
places and there was a good deal of sunshine yesterday which boosted max
values, though the sun is still weak at this time of year. The previous
night had been quite breezy which prevented really low values. A deep snow
cover and a calm, clear night such as on December 11th/12th 1981 would have
been interesting in the Chipstead Valley.
Perhaps the last real prolonged cold was in February 1986.

Ian Currie-Coulsdon and Chipstead Valley
www.Frostedearth.com





"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
Several people have noted that temperature levels over the
last few days have been a good deal higher than had been
predicted before the cold snap began.

This is highlighted by the fac that the lowest Central England
maximum temperature this month was 4.2ºC last Tuesday
(1971-2000 mean is 6.2ºC).

In December there were six colder days.

Last January there were nine colder days.

During the winter of 1962-63 there was not a single day
as warm as this from December 22 to February 27 inc.

Philip Eden