Data from March 1947
STORNOWAY

Mean Max: 5.3 Mean Min: 2.8 Highest Max: 11.1 Lowest Min: -8.3
Rainfall: 59% Air frosts: 14 Days with lying snow: 6

ABERDEEN

Mean Max: 2.8 Mean Min: -3.0 Highest Max: 7.8 Lowest Min: -17.2
Rainfall: 198% Air frosts: 20 Days with lying snow: 26

GLASGOW

Mean Max: 4.5 Mean Min: -1.9 Highest Max: 11.7 Lowest Min: -13.9
Rainfall: 161% Air frosts: 16 Days with lying snow: 22

YORK

Mean Max: 6.0 Mean Min: -0.5 Highest Max: 13.3 Lowest Min: -12.8
Rainfall: 314% Air frosts: 15 Days with lying snow: 19

MANCHESTER

Mean Max: 7.0 Mean Min: 1.0 Highest Max: 12.8 Lowest Min: -8.9
Rainfall: 265% Air frosts: 13 Days with lying snow: 9

NOTTINGHAM

Mean Max: 6.5 Mean Min: 0.5 Highest Max: 12.8 Lowest Min: -10.0
Rainfall: 288% Air frosts: 13 Days with lying snow: 17

BIRMINGHAM

Mean Max: 5.8 Mean Min: 1.1 Highest Max: 11.7 Lowest Min: -7.2
Rainfall: 366% Air frosts: 13 Days with lying snow: 18

CARDIFF

Mean Max: 7.5 Mean Min: 1.2 Highest Max: 12.8 Lowest Min: -7.8
Rainfall: 295% Air frosts: 13 Days with lying snow: 9

KEW

Mean Max: 7.7 Mean Min: 2.2 Highest Max: 14.3 Lowest Min: -5.1
Rainfall: 319% Air frosts: 10 Days with lying snow: 10

PLYMOUTH

Mean Max: 8.7 Mean Min: 3.8 Highest Max: 12.2 Lowest Min: -5.6
Rainfall: 307% Air frosts: 5 Days with lying snow: 0

BELFAST

Mean Max: 5.6 Mean Min: -0.1 Highest Max: 13.3 Lowest Min: -12.2
Rainfall: 187% Air frosts: 14 Days with lying snow: 15

Source: TWO.

My Comment:
Just look at some of those rainfall totals, some are
over 300 per-cent. No wonder there was severe flooding when that rainfall is
added to the prodigious quantities of snow lying. It is interesting to note
that Aberdeen had a mean for the whole month below zero and snow lying for
26 days of the month - nearly the whole month. That means that the thaw was
not entirely nationwide. That minimum of -17.2C was quite incredible.

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In message , Gavin Staples
writes

snip

My Comment:
Just look at some of those rainfall totals, some are
over 300 per-cent. No wonder there was severe flooding when that rainfall is
added to the prodigious quantities of snow lying. It is interesting to note
that Aberdeen had a mean for the whole month below zero and snow lying for
26 days of the month - nearly the whole month. That means that the thaw was
not entirely nationwide. That minimum of -17.2C was quite incredible.

By the time the rain and thaw set in in March 1947 the ground was frozen
hard to a considerable depth as a result of the prolonged cold spell
that had persisted since late January. Because of this, the rain and
melting snow could not penetrate into the ground. Instead, it all ran
off. This was certainly a significant contributory factor to the
severity of the flooding.

Norman.
(delete "thisbit" twice to reply)
--
Norman Lynagh Weather Consultancy
Chalfont St Giles
England

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 09:51:33 -0000, Gavin Staples wrote in

snip
My Comment:
Just look at some of those rainfall totals, some are
over 300 per-cent. No wonder there was severe flooding when that rainfall is
added to the prodigious quantities of snow lying
snip

I don't think it is a matter of "adding" that rainfall to lying snow, as
much of what was recorded as rain did in fact fall as snow during the great
snowstorms of that month.


--
Mike 55.13°N 6.69°W Coleraine posted to uk.sci.weather 07/01/2004 10:14:22 UTC

In article ,
Gavin Staples writes:
Data from March 1947
snip

ABERDEEN

Mean Max: 2.8 Mean Min: -3.0 Highest Max: 7.8 Lowest Min: -17.2
Rainfall: 198% Air frosts: 20 Days with lying snow: 26

It must be almost unique for a low-level station in the UK to return a
sub-zero mean temperature for March. And 26 days with lying snow is very
impressive. Obviously it wasn't until quite late in the month that this
region warmed up significantly (probably delayed by how cold the North
Sea was by this time).

Added later: I've just scrolled down as far as your comment at the end
of your post, and see that your thoughts are very much the same as mine.
--
John Hall

You can divide people into two categories:
those who divide people into two categories and those who don't