In message , JPG
writes
I have noted recently from the oft-quoted CET figures that February 1986 was an
exceptionally cold, but dry, month.

It happened to be the month that I last moved house. I recall a couple of
things about that month. The very low absolute humidity caused more static
electricity build-up when working in our new house than I have known since
(except in N American hotels in winter) - all of our family were subjected to
frequent electric shocks.

Notable also were day after day of very low maxima, often below freezing. One
result of the cold weather was that all of our house-plants, kept overnight in
the mover's pantechnicon, were lost to frost except for the umbrella plant.

We still have the umbrella plant - it seems to take no end of abuse and thrive;
in faCt this year we have left it outside and it seems to be unaffected
by frost
- it should be re-classiified as hardy IMO.

It was indeed very cold. I lived in Bushey, Herts at the time and the
max temp for the month there was 3.0c which occurred on the 2nd. The
mean max for the month was 0.9c and there were 10 days with the max
below zero. There was snow lying at 9 a.m. on 22 days in the month.

The cold continued into the first few days of March. On the 1st the max
temp was -0.9c in a fresh ENE wind. On 2nd March there was 5cm of snow
on the ground at 9 a.m.

All very different to February this year.

Norman
(delete "thisbit" twice to e-mail)
--
Norman Lynagh Weather Consultancy
Chalfont St Giles
England