Here in Luton (the valley bottom) there were three consecutive
air frosts on the mornings of the 10th, 11th and 12th, and this
was mirrored at a number of low-lying sites in central and
southern England.

The last time this happened here was in 1996, May 4, 5, and 6,
and before that there were five in a row from May 2-6, 1979,
and 10 out of 11 from May 1-11, 1941.

But this was the latest three-in-a-row here since
May 17-19, 1935.

Elsewhere in the UK, both Shap (Cumbria) and Tulloch
Bridge (Lochaber) have had four consecutive air frosts up
to this morning.

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

Philip Eden

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

Philip Eden


I just looked up the reanalysis of that period on wetterzentrale expecting
to find a northerly blast, but in fact I found a 'warm' high. Must have
been quite a spectacular inversion.



--
Brian Wakem

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

Philip Eden


I just looked up the reanalysis of that period on wetterzentrale expecting
to find a northerly blast, but in fact I found a 'warm' high. Must have
been quite a spectacular inversion.



--
Brian Wakem

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

Philip Eden


I just looked up the reanalysis of that period on wetterzentrale expecting
to find a northerly blast, but in fact I found a 'warm' high. Must have
been quite a spectacular inversion.



--
Brian Wakem

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

Does Santon Downham feature as often nowadays as the "cold pole" of England?
I know the area fairly well (good birdwatching spot) and it is quite heavily
forested today and far less open than it might have been in the past. Does
anyone happen to know the exact spot where these remarkable cold nights
occurred?
Map reference or link to eg StreetMap please.

Jack

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

Does Santon Downham feature as often nowadays as the "cold pole" of England?
I know the area fairly well (good birdwatching spot) and it is quite heavily
forested today and far less open than it might have been in the past. Does
anyone happen to know the exact spot where these remarkable cold nights
occurred?
Map reference or link to eg StreetMap please.

Jack

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

Does Santon Downham feature as often nowadays as the "cold pole" of England?
I know the area fairly well (good birdwatching spot) and it is quite heavily
forested today and far less open than it might have been in the past. Does
anyone happen to know the exact spot where these remarkable cold nights
occurred?
Map reference or link to eg StreetMap please.

Jack

"Brian Wakem" wrote in message
...
"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

I just looked up the reanalysis of that period on wetterzentrale expecting
to find a northerly blast, but in fact I found a 'warm' high. Must have
been quite a spectacular inversion.

Yes, but the build of pressure was preceded by a notable northerly
outbreak (SSTs between Scotland and Iceland/Greenland must
have been low as it had been a particularly cool spring), and Lerwick
reported snow showers and a max of 5°C on May 30. My own
records, then in °F, and rainfall in inches, for Luton we

May 26 Min 41 Max 46, rain 0.18, sun 0.0
May 27 43 56 0.34 1.2
May 28 45 56 0.00 3.0
May 29 38 56 0.06 3.3
May 30 32 59 0.00 11.2
May 31 40 54 0.00 13.6
Jun 1 32 56 0.00 12.8
Jun 2 33 59 0.00 3.3
Jun 3 33 61 0.00 11.9
Jun 4 36 61 0.00 14.2
Jun 5 39 63 0.00 13.3
Jun 6 40 68 0.00 12.3
Jun 7 41 71 0.00 15.1
Jun 8 41 73 0.00 15.1
Jun 9 46 76 0.00 10.5
Jun 10 51 61 0.05 5.4

June 9th was the warmest day of the year!
I also had 9 ground frosts out of 11 from May 29.

Philip Eden

"Brian Wakem" wrote in message
...
"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

I just looked up the reanalysis of that period on wetterzentrale expecting
to find a northerly blast, but in fact I found a 'warm' high. Must have
been quite a spectacular inversion.

Yes, but the build of pressure was preceded by a notable northerly
outbreak (SSTs between Scotland and Iceland/Greenland must
have been low as it had been a particularly cool spring), and Lerwick
reported snow showers and a max of 5°C on May 30. My own
records, then in °F, and rainfall in inches, for Luton we

May 26 Min 41 Max 46, rain 0.18, sun 0.0
May 27 43 56 0.34 1.2
May 28 45 56 0.00 3.0
May 29 38 56 0.06 3.3
May 30 32 59 0.00 11.2
May 31 40 54 0.00 13.6
Jun 1 32 56 0.00 12.8
Jun 2 33 59 0.00 3.3
Jun 3 33 61 0.00 11.9
Jun 4 36 61 0.00 14.2
Jun 5 39 63 0.00 13.3
Jun 6 40 68 0.00 12.3
Jun 7 41 71 0.00 15.1
Jun 8 41 73 0.00 15.1
Jun 9 46 76 0.00 10.5
Jun 10 51 61 0.05 5.4

June 9th was the warmest day of the year!
I also had 9 ground frosts out of 11 from May 29.

Philip Eden

"Brian Wakem" wrote in message
...
"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Arguably the most extraordinary sequence of spring frosts
was at Santon Downham (on the sandy Breckland soils
of southwest Norfolk) where there were 12 consecutive
air frosts from May 28 to June 9, 1962.

I just looked up the reanalysis of that period on wetterzentrale expecting
to find a northerly blast, but in fact I found a 'warm' high. Must have
been quite a spectacular inversion.

Yes, but the build of pressure was preceded by a notable northerly
outbreak (SSTs between Scotland and Iceland/Greenland must
have been low as it had been a particularly cool spring), and Lerwick
reported snow showers and a max of 5°C on May 30. My own
records, then in °F, and rainfall in inches, for Luton we

May 26 Min 41 Max 46, rain 0.18, sun 0.0
May 27 43 56 0.34 1.2
May 28 45 56 0.00 3.0
May 29 38 56 0.06 3.3
May 30 32 59 0.00 11.2
May 31 40 54 0.00 13.6
Jun 1 32 56 0.00 12.8
Jun 2 33 59 0.00 3.3
Jun 3 33 61 0.00 11.9
Jun 4 36 61 0.00 14.2
Jun 5 39 63 0.00 13.3
Jun 6 40 68 0.00 12.3
Jun 7 41 71 0.00 15.1
Jun 8 41 73 0.00 15.1
Jun 9 46 76 0.00 10.5
Jun 10 51 61 0.05 5.4

June 9th was the warmest day of the year!
I also had 9 ground frosts out of 11 from May 29.

Philip Eden