It will be 18 years next month since we (the South East) had anything
like an interesting winter - January 1987. We experienced impressive
snowfalls (albeit very localised) in February 1991 but nothing like
the low temperatures recorded four years earlier. Other half notable
periods were November 1993 (typically I was out of the country for
that one) and December '96/ January '97 (limited snow). Since then it
has been the odd two or three day cold snap that brings a paltry 3cm
snowfall that thaws the next day.

And I look at the long range models tonight and just see a
continuation of this theme. Indeed if the charts are to be believed we
could be in for a repeat of the "balmy Britain" winter of 1988 / 89.

With or without global warming this really can't go on and the cycle
will just have to change soon. But when?