On Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 10:59:57 AM UTC, Adam Lea wrote:
On 19/02/2017 08:29, Norman Lynagh wrote:
Adam Lea wrote:
On 18/02/2017 11:07, wrote:
Yesterday got me thinking about this as I sat in the sun in our front
garden in North London with temperatures nudging 13 deg in mid February.
But on reflection I would describe yesterday as a mild late winter's day.
Not quite warm enough and everything still too bare.
I go by the meteorological definition, 1st March, but at the same time
appreciate that the first half of March is really the tail end of winter in
terms of weather, but with more daylight, and proper springlike conditions
don't really take hold until late March/early April. The UK weather can be a
tease to gardeners at this time of year.
In the 8 years that we have been in Tideswell the two most severe blizzards
occurred on 4th April 2012 and 22nd/23rd March 2013. The last day of winter is
often much later than the first day of spring!
There is a difference in climate between lowland Sussex and Surrey, and
over 300m up in the Derbyshire hills. You live higher up than any land
within at least 80 miles of me.
I have lived in West Sussex since the end of 2002, and I have never seen
a blizzard in April, March or otherwise. 2013 is the only year I have
seen a true extent of winter well into Spring (1996 is another year but
I was living in Salford back then).
When I was living in Wootton Bassett, Wilts (it wasn't royal then) we had a blizzard on 26th April 1982. My maximum temperature that day was 2.0C. There was overnight easterly gale with a general cover of 4-6" by dawn, but with significant drifting. We lost electricity for several hours. There was a steady thaw in the afternoon, but according to my weather diary it was "Easily the heaviest snowfall of the year". It remained mainly as rain along the Thames valley just to the north (around Lechlade) Just a small altitude difference had a big impact.
Graham
Penzance (mizzle today)