Believe it or not, we recorded the earliest ever autumn/winter snow in
Coventry on the 11th of October in 1896!

The last time there was any October snow in our region was back in
1941, though snow has only fallen locally during October on five
occasions since records were first available in the city in 1892 -
these were in 1892 (two days), 1895, 1896 1934 and 1941.

Thank goodness for climate change!

Steve Jackson
Bablake Weather Station
Coventry UK
www.bablakeweather.co.uk

In article
,
Steve J writes:
Believe it or not, we recorded the earliest ever autumn/winter snow in
Coventry on the 11th of October in 1896!

The last time there was any October snow in our region was back in
1941, though snow has only fallen locally during October on five
occasions since records were first available in the city in 1892 -
these were in 1892 (two days), 1895, 1896 1934 and 1941.

Thank goodness for climate change!

I can recall a heavy snow shower on October 31st (I think), 1974 in West
Byfleet, Surrey that whitened the grass, though as soon as the snow
eased that lying quickly melted. That very early snowfall was then
followed by an exceptionally mild winter.
--
John Hall
"If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come
sit next to me."
Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884-1980)

On 10 Oct, 18:12, Steve J wrote:
Believe it or not, we recorded the earliest ever autumn/winter snow in
Coventry on the 11th of October in 1896!

The last time there was any October snow in our region was back in
1941, though snow has only fallen locally during October on five
occasions since records were first available in the city in 1892 -
these were in 1892 (two days), 1895, 1896 1934 and 1941.

Thank goodness for climate change!

Steve Jackson
Bablake Weather Station
Coventry UKwww.bablakeweather.co.uk

Steve - while observing at Long Lawford, Warwickshire (about 20 km
east of your site) from 1970 to 1977, I noted sleet or snow twice in
October, both in 1974. The first was early on the morning of 7
October, when there was a brief sleet shower following a cold night:
the second was on the 30th, when I distinctly recall 2-3 hours of fine
white snowfall during the afternoon. The day's max on the latter
occasion was just 5.7°C (with a min the following night of -5.2°C).

I don't know which Coventry site records you use for 1974, but I would
be surprised if the latter occasion was missed even on a city-centre
record, as I recall it was widely commented upon in the local
press ...

--
Stephen Burt
Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire

On 10 Oct, 20:40, wrote:
I don't know which Coventry site records you use for 1974, but I would
be surprised if the latter occasion was missed even on a city-centre
record, as I recall it was widely commented upon in the local
press ...

Thanks for those observations Stephen - I have made a note of them and
will investigate, perhaps in the local press archives.

Our daily weather diary entries for the early 1970's are very sketchy
to be honest - the local council site in the Memorial Park in Coventry
provided excellent data for the late 1950s and 1960's, but by 1974,
they were having trouble getting observers at weekends and on public
holidays. Diary entries therefore are unreliable to say the least, so
even if snow had fallen widely as you describe, it hasn't been
noticed, nor recorded unfortunately.

Baginton Airport started a Met Office site in 1974, but that's outside
of the city limits, and we didn't re-commence daily readings and
observatins until 1977, after a gap of about 20 years at the school.

You may be interested to know that even though we have a Met Office
AWS at Bablake (they installed a new one this summer), we still send
in a hand written Metform 3208B every month to maintain an accurate
weather diary in Coventry, as otherwise we would lose valuable
observations, like we did obviously in 1974!

Strangely, I still enjoy filling this form in every day, even the data
on the front, even though I doubt it is still used. Old habits die
hard!

best wishes

Steve Jackson
Bablake Weather Station
Coventry UK
www.bablakeweather.co.uk

On 11 Oct, 07:30, Steve J wrote:
On 10 Oct, 20:40, wrote:

You may be interested to know that even though we have a Met Office
AWS at Bablake (they installed a new one this summer), we still send
in a hand written Metform 3208B every month to maintain an accurate
weather diary in Coventry, as otherwise we would lose valuable
observations, like we did obviously in 1974!

Strangely, I still enjoy filling this form in every day, even the data
on the front, even though I doubt it is still used. Old habits die
hard!

Hi, Steve,
Ah, yes, Metform 3208B - unfortunately no more for Copley! I still
fill in the old Pocket Register 3100 meticulously, but the new Met O
return on the web has a weather diary that is pretty useless imho. The
pocket register is being phased out as well and I try in vain to stock
up with older ones.
So now, instead of beaufort letters with timings to give accurate
logs, I enter continuous pptn, intermittent pptn, dry or mainly dry
for am and pm. My record will consist of one piece of tear-off paper
from Observers' note pad Metform 2052. Progress that is.
Ken
Copley, Teesdale

We have had snow falling in 3 October's since 1970!

1973, 1974 and more recently 2000 which also recorded a snow lying day
as heavy rain and gales turning to heavy snow around 07.00 on the
morning of the 30th.

Weston Coyney weather station (North Staffordshire) 220 metres asl

Live data at: www.coyney.demon.co.uk

--
Graham

On Oct 11, 11:36*am, Graham wrote:
We have had snow falling in 3 October's since 1970!

1973, 1974 and more recently 2000 which also recorded a snow lying day
as heavy rain and gales turning to heavy snow around 07.00 on the
morning of the 30th.

Weston Coyney weather station (North Staffordshire) 220 metres asl

Live data at:www.coyney.demon.co.uk

--
Graham


Yes Graham, widespread in 2000 as well, as I drove from Penistone over
the Pennines into Lancashire in heavy snow and a good few inches
around. Rob Overfield has it noted in my current location as well.
I also have records of sleet in October for a few dates between 1994
and 2003 and some snowfall on higher Pennine hills.
I heard reports of Ingleborough having snow cover around a week ago as
well, not so unusual at that height I guess.

David Mitchell Langtoft. East Riding.