Some debate at work about which 'day' is the coldest. Not sure what
records, if any, one can look at for a 20 year 'average'if there is
such a thing. Anyway, the guys at one end of the table peered down at
me thinking that I could conjure up an answer for that. Apparently one
of them was laying a bet that it would be after January 14th, and the
coldest anywhere in the UK would be between -19 and -21C.
That is the difficult bit-anywhere in the UK!
Any ideas, anyone?!
Robin

Robin Nicholson wrote:
Some debate at work about which 'day' is the coldest. Not sure what
records, if any, one can look at for a 20 year 'average'if there is
such a thing. Anyway, the guys at one end of the table peered down at
me thinking that I could conjure up an answer for that. Apparently one
of them was laying a bet that it would be after January 14th, and the
coldest anywhere in the UK would be between -19 and -21C.
That is the difficult bit-anywhere in the UK!
Any ideas, anyone?!
Robin

If you draw a smooth curve through the mean maximum temperatures
for each month the lowest point is about Jan 24 and for minima a few
days later. This applies to most of the UK except the extreme west
where the date is about a week later.
If we are talking about maximum temperatures only then the
figures of -19 to -21 are far too low. The lowest maximum in the UK to
my knowledge was -19°C at Braemar on 10/1/82., and was altogether
exceptional. Even minima below -19°C are fairly uncommon and confined
to very limited areas.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

On 23 Nov 2005 16:35:29 -0800, "Tudor Hughes"
wrote:


Even minima below -19°C are fairly uncommon and confined
to very limited areas.


I have discovered more :apparently one of my colleagues is making a
bet that the lowest temperature recorded anywhere in the UK this
winter will be between -19 and -21C.I am inclined to suggest,well,
-12C. So I will go for the end of January/start of february for the
actual date
I am assuming it is a proper weather reporting location.
Cheers RN

Tudor Hughes wrote:

If we are talking about maximum temperatures only then the
figures of -19 to -21 are far too low. The lowest maximum in the UK to
my knowledge was -19°C at Braemar on 10/1/82., and was altogether
exceptional.

Minus 27 I think? Folks around here talk of it reaching -26 here a few
years back.
--
Steve Loft, Glenlivet. 200m ASL
http://www.livet.org.uk/weather
(being redecorated, watch the wet paint)
http://www.livet.org.uk/webcam.php

Steve Loft wrote:
Tudor Hughes wrote:

If we are talking about maximum temperatures only then the
figures of -19 to -21 are far too low. The lowest maximum in the UK to
my knowledge was -19°C at Braemar on 10/1/82., and was altogether
exceptional.


Minus 27 I think?

Sorry, Tudor, ignore that. Must-learn-to-read...
--
Steve Loft, Glenlivet. 200m ASL
http://www.livet.org.uk/weather
(being redecorated, watch the wet paint)
http://www.livet.org.uk/webcam.php

Steve Loft wrote:
Steve Loft wrote:
Tudor Hughes wrote:

If we are talking about maximum temperatures only then the
figures of -19 to -21 are far too low. The lowest maximum in the UK to
my knowledge was -19°C at Braemar on 10/1/82., and was altogether
exceptional.


Minus 27 I think?

Sorry, Tudor, ignore that. Must-learn-to-read...
--
Steve Loft, Glenlivet. 200m ASL
http://www.livet.org.uk/weather
(being redecorated, watch the wet paint)
http://www.livet.org.uk/webcam.php

OK, Steve. :-) -19°C is quite cold enough as a max. According
to an article in Weather after the event the minimum the following
night was on course for just about -30°C but for the intervention of
some fairly thin high cloud and a new record was in one sense missed by
a hair's breadth. The actual min was about -26°C. Needless to say
the diesel remained frozen. What a place!

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

"Tudor Hughes" wrote in message
oups.com...

OK, Steve. :-) -19°C is quite cold enough as a max. According
to an article in Weather after the event the minimum the following
night was on course for just about -30°C but for the intervention of
some fairly thin high cloud and a new record was in one sense missed by
a hair's breadth. The actual min was about -26°C. Needless to say
the diesel remained frozen. What a place!

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

This reminded me of last February when starting my car in a valley, 2100m
above sea level, in the French Alps. The car had not been turned on for a
whole week and temperatures were frequently falling to sub -20degC. In fact
when the car started, the thermometer registered -19degC. The car did not
like it one bit, with the waxing of the diesel occurring around -15degC,
things were very interesting for about ten minutes. I'm sure you can correct
me on the scientific terms, Tudor, for the waxing of the diesel and indeed
the temperature at which this occurs !

ATB, Joe

On 24 Nov 2005 17:38:48 -0800, "Tudor Hughes"
wrote:


The actual min was about -26°C. Needless to say
the diesel remained frozen. What a place!

Was there not a location in Shropshire- somewhere like Shawbury(?) -
that got down to -20 odd a good few years ago?

Robin

In article ,
Robin Nicholson writes:
Some debate at work about which 'day' is the coldest. Not sure what
records, if any, one can look at for a 20 year 'average'if there is
such a thing. Anyway, the guys at one end of the table peered down at
me thinking that I could conjure up an answer for that. Apparently one
of them was laying a bet that it would be after January 14th, and the
coldest anywhere in the UK would be between -19 and -21C.
That is the difficult bit-anywhere in the UK!
Any ideas, anyone?!

In addition to what Tudor has said, I'd mention that it also depends how
long a period you consider. I suspect that in the last ten years the
coldest day has tended to be later than previously.
--
John Hall

"Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes."
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

I find this thread incredibly interesting because at Bablake we have
statistics averaged for every day of the year from 1978 to 2004
inclusive.

As you will see, the coldest day of the year in Coventry avaerges out
at 28th February - much later than you might have expected.

Just out of interest. I have appended other data from our website:

Warmest day of the year 28th July

Warmest night of the year 27th, 28th, 30th July

Coldest day of the year 16th February

Coldest night of the year 13th January

Wettest days of the year 29th July and 6th December

Driest day of the year 28th February

Sunniest day of the year 24th July

Dullest day of the year 1st December

Windiest day of the year 23rd March

Calmest day of the year 25th Septeber

Some surprises there!

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