1709: The year that Europe froze
 

This link to a New Scientist article was posted on the sci.meteorology
newsgroup. I thought I would share it here as I found it very
interesting.

1709: The year that Europe froze
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...html?full=true

Cheers, Alastair.

1709: The year that Europe froze
 

In article
,
Alastair writes:
This link to a New Scientist article was posted on the sci.meteorology
newsgroup. I thought I would share it here as I found it very
interesting.

1709: The year that Europe froze
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...the-year-that-
europe-froze.html?full=true

Thanks. A very interesting read.

"It was the coldest winter in 500 years."

That was probably true for Europe as a whole, but in England both 1683-4
and 1739-40 were worse. The coldest month in 1708-9 was January with a
CET of -1.5C (to the nearest half degree). January 1684 was -3C (to the
nearest degree). January 1716 managed -2C, and January 1740 was -2.8C.
(January 1795 managed -3.1C so could have been colder even than January
1684, though taking the three winter months together it was nothing like
as cold as that winter.)

Of course, a problem in deciding the coldest winter or the severest
month is how you trade off duration against intensity. For example, is a
winter with monthly means of 4, -3, 2 more or less severe than one with
means of 1, -1, 0? Similarly is a month with two weeks of severe cold
and two weeks of mild weather better or worse than a month with four
coldish but not extreme weeks?

Incidentally, I can well remember January, 1963, which managed a very
respectable -2.1C.
--
John Hall "Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
pays off now." Anon

1709: The year that Europe froze
 

On May 19, 6:35*pm, John Hall wrote:
In article
,

*Alastair writes:
This link to a New Scientist article was posted on the sci.meteorology
newsgroup. I thought I would share it here as I found it very
interesting.

1709: The year that Europe froze
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...the-year-that-

Thanks. A very interesting read.

"It was the coldest winter in 500 years."

Not all year, then.

That was probably true for Europe as a whole, but in England both 1683-4
and 1739-40 were worse. The coldest month in 1708-9 was January with a
CET of -1.5C (to the nearest half degree). January 1684 was -3C (to the
nearest degree). January 1716 managed -2C, and January 1740 was -2.8C.
(January 1795 managed -3.1C so could have been colder even than January
1684, though taking the three winter months together it was nothing like
as cold as that winter.)

Of course, a problem in deciding the coldest winter or the severest
month is how you trade off duration against intensity. For example, is a
winter with monthly means of 4, -3, 2 more or less severe than one with
means of 1, -1, 0? Similarly is a month with two weeks of severe cold
and two weeks of mild weather better or worse than a month with four
coldish but not extreme weeks?

The problem is aesoteric as it isn't going to hurt anyone now or ever
again. The fact is that when there is an anticyclone over Greenland
and a cyclone over almost anywhere west of it the downdraught will be
pointed south.

It is just a matter of timing where exactly south is.

January

1709: 3rd 01:13; 10th 22:34; 19th 02:17; 25th 20:13.

1716: 2nd 09:35; 09th 02:35; 16th 13:47; 24th 15:22; 31st 18:14.

1740: 3rd 17:46; 10th 12:03; 17th 06:57; 25th 10:32.

1795: 05th 09:40; 13th 05:02; 21st 00:21; 27th 21:16.

1709: The year that Europe froze
 

On May 19, 5:35*pm, John Hall wrote:
In article
,

*Alastair writes:
This link to a New Scientist article was posted on the sci.meteorology
newsgroup. I thought I would share it here as I found it very
interesting.

1709: The year that Europe froze
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...the-year-that-
europe-froze.html?full=true

Thanks. A very interesting read.

"It was the coldest winter in 500 years."

That was probably true for Europe as a whole, but in England both 1683-4
and 1739-40 were worse. The coldest month in 1708-9 was January with a
CET of -1.5C (to the nearest half degree). January 1684 was -3C (to the
nearest degree). January 1716 managed -2C, and January 1740 was -2.8C.
(January 1795 managed -3.1C so could have been colder even than January
1684, though taking the three winter months together it was nothing like
as cold as that winter.)

Of course, a problem in deciding the coldest winter or the severest
month is how you trade off duration against intensity. For example, is a
winter with monthly means of 4, -3, 2 more or less severe than one with
means of 1, -1, 0? Similarly is a month with two weeks of severe cold
and two weeks of mild weather better or worse than a month with four
coldish but not extreme weeks?

Incidentally, I can well remember January, 1963, which managed a very
respectable -2.1C.
--
John Hall * * * *"Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always
* * * * * * * * * pays off now." *Anon

Glad you enjoyed it. What I liked is that it is a mystery!

Also that it backs up my thesis that climate is as fractal or as
chaotic as weather :-)

Cheers, Alastair.

1709: The year that Europe froze
 

On Tue, 19 May 2009 at 12:08:59, Weatherlawyer
wrote in uk.sci.weather :

The problem is aesoteric as it isn't going to hurt anyone now or ever
again. The fact is that when there is an anticyclone over Greenland
and a cyclone over almost anywhere west of it the downdraught will be
pointed south.

It is just a matter of timing where exactly south is.

Huh? 'South' doesn't move depending on the time of year or the weather!
--
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

1709: The year that Europe froze
 

snip all

.... this I found a year or so back which is interesting - lays out the
suggestion that the increased emigration from German states was
*possibly* a consequence of this historically severe winter ...

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.c.../germhs46.html

Martin.


--
Martin Rowley
West Moors, East Dorset (UK): 17m (56ft) amsl
Lat: 50.82N Long: 01.88W
NGR: SU 082 023

The year that Europe froze
 

"Alastair" wrote in message
...
This link to a New Scientist article was posted on the sci.meteorology
newsgroup. I thought I would share it here as I found it very
interesting.

1709: The year that Europe froze
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...html?full=true

Cheers, Alastair.


Thank god then that humans have according to you, raised the earths
temperature ever so slightly and staved of any future grim bitter life
threatening scenarios like that from happening again for a long long time.

1709: The year that Europe froze
 

On May 20, 9:13*am, Paul Hyett wrote:
On Tue, 19 May 2009 at 12:08:59, Weatherlawyer
wrote in uk.sci.weather :



The problem is aesoteric as it isn't going to hurt anyone now or ever
again. The fact is that when there is an anticyclone over Greenland
and a cyclone over almost anywhere west of it the downdraught will be
pointed south.

It is just a matter of timing where exactly south is.

Huh? 'South' doesn't move depending on the time of year or the weather!

South moves as a constant to the subjects involved. Or do you think
that the air masses that bring snowfall to the northern hemisphere
either side of the Atlantic are particularly sedate?


--
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)

1709: The year that Europe froze
 

On May 20, 9:59*am, "Martin Rowley"
wrote:
snip all

... this I found a year or so back which is interesting - lays out the
suggestion that the increased emigration from German states was
*possibly* a consequence of this historically severe winter ...

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.c...mnotes/germhs4...

The protestant reformation was particularly inclined to schisms of a
bloodthirsty nature with people like Calvin trying to usurp any work
that Luther had instigated.

But the fact was any feudal state -of which Germany was several in
those days, contained thousands of people who would do almost anything
to go where land was free. The same thing happened in Montanna in the
early 20th century.

They'd rather live in houses built of roofing felt and 2 x 1 batons
and no ameneties for dozens -even scores of miles, not even roads,
rather than stick it out in the slums of any of the big cities.

I doubt very much that the weather would even occur to people in such
situations. Who would tell them it was unusual? They wouldn't make any
plans based on it.

Would you?