Peter Clarke wrote:
There were 21 days with snow or sleet falling here in 2005; the highest
number in any year since 1987 when there were 23.
The average number for the years 1971 - 2000 was 17.0 days but the average
for the years 1988 - 2005 is 10.4. The highest annual total was in 1979
which had 40, 1986 had 37.

Since 1988 only 2 years have had more than the 1971 - 200 average - these
were 1996 and 2005.

Peter Clarke
Ewell, Epsom 55m

Your figures are consistently higher than mine by 10-20%. For
instance, my average 1988-2005 is 8.9, yours being 10.4. My figures
for 1986 and 1987 are 30 and 21 against your 37 and 23 and for last
year 17 against your 21. As I am further from London and 375 ft higher
I'm not sure why this should be so. The only thing I can think of is
different criteria for sleet as opposed to rain. I am rather reluctant
to record a "day with snow falling" if one or two raindrops are
suspiciously lumpy. Also, it's not always possible to monitor "ev'ry
drop of rain that falls", as the song has it. But neither would it be
for you. I'm somewhat puzzled.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey, 556 ft, 169 m