"John Hall" wrote in message
...
Based on the mean CET of Dec-Jan-Feb, the 10 mildest winters from 1660
to 2004 inclusive are (year in which the January falls):

Year Mean CET (degrees C)
1869 6.7
1834 6.6
1989 6.5
1975 6.5
1686 6.3
1796 6.3
1990 6.2
1935 6.1
1734 6.1
1998 6.1

These are more evenly spread over the period than one might have
expected, though there have been three since 1989. It's noticeable how
even in the coldest periods of the "Little Ice Age" very mild winters
came along occasionally (1686 only two years after 1684, and 1796 the
very next year after the coldest January in the instrumental record).
Note the mild winters in 1734, 1834 and 1935. Others have noticed the
suggestion of a cycle of length very close to 100 years in the coldest
British winters, and here is something similar with the mildest.
Probably no more than coincidence, though.

And the 10 coldest:

Year Mean CET (degrees C)
1684 -1.2
1740 -0.4
1963 -0.3
1814 0.4
1795 0.5
1879 0.6
1695 0.7
1716 0.8
1679 1.0
1681 1.0

Unlike the mild winters, here there is an obvious bias towards the early
part of the period. We have 4 within 40 years at the end of the 17th
century, 3 in the 18th, 2 in the 19th and 1 in the 20th.

Looking at the 20th century, 1947 comes in 15th with 1.2C, 1940 23rd
with 1.4, 1917 26th with 1.5, 1979 29th with 1.6, 1929 33rd with 1.7.
--
John Hall

"Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong."
Oscar Wilde

I was just thinking about this the way we are going this winter. If February
is anything like as mild as this month it could enter your list of the mild
ones.
Thanks for this piece if excellent infomation John.

Gavin.