"Ken Cook" wrote in message
...
Hi, All,

I read most posts on the ng and some make me look back at my record.
The recent one about consecutive snow lying days (50% or more) has
held my interest, and surprise.
Snow has covered all the ground here since 17th December which is 24
days tomorrow (even December 1976 was 24 days).
I looked at the big one 1978 / 79 in my record which ran from 29th
December to 1st March = 63 days.
After that I stopped looking, although February 1986 had full cover
throughout and more either side.
1963 would be even snowier but my record there is for Scarborough. I
think Durham Observatory was full cover all January and all February
and more. I have the record somewhere.
1947, the year of the 83 inches level in Teesdale, was full cover all
February and March plus some of January I think. I also have the
record somewhere.
Basically then Copley with 24 consecutive days so far is not yet
anywhere near and I'm amazed that some areas are approaching records.

Best wishes,
Ken
Copley, Teesdale

February/ March 1986 had interuppted snow cover in this area. Most of the
snowfalls were nout more than a dusting that thawed after no more than 3
days.
I can remember local ponds being frozen for several weeks and skating on
them for hours at a time, the ice was well over a foot thick.

The data I have for 1981/82 is for Motherwell, the site is considerably
lower than mine but the closest I can get hold of. They had 4 days at the
start of January 1982 without snow cover. Save for this green snap, it could
have been a 42 day cover (December 8th - 18th January). How much higher up
we have to go in order to have had uninteruppted cover locally back then is
an interesting question. But I know that in Wishaw the only snow that was
around on the afternoon of 1st January 1982 was in unmelted heaps beside
pavenments and roads (thanks to two old photo's).

The cover in 1978 / 1979 was very prolonged in Shotts (about 300ft higher
than me and six miles north east of here) like your own, but again
interupted in Motherwell. It had undoubtedly more days of snow lying than
we've had this winter at 64 days - but nothing near the 23 consecutive days
of present (as they have now). Whether that was the case at this slightly
higher location is reasonably questionable. This is right on the limit of my
memory (being only 5 years old at the time).
The end of January 1978 produced a blizzard locally, but the very deep snow
drifts (150cm) were gone within a week at Motherwell, Only to return a few
days later and last 17 days (how I would love to have remembered that).
Again the snow cover lasted for a month in Shotts.
December 1976 had quite a lot of days with snow falling in Motherwell, but
no lasting cover beyond a few days.
The same for February and March 1969.
I don't have any local snowfall records beyond 1966 to hand and no local
temperature records before 1959.

My parents both recall a particular heavy long lasting snowfall in their
primary school days... This would equate to the mid 1950's, possibly
February 1955 which sticks out as being cold and snowy on Trevor Harley's
site? They both agree this is the last time we had a winter as bad as this
one - but that's from a child's memory.
They are too young to remember the winter of 46/47 sadly.

Trip down memory lane for some there I think.

Alex.