1963 winter and snow cover.
 

Looking at the historic charts earlier I noticed that there were
several, especially early on, that didn't look that cold. I know there
were several threatened thaws (probably based on expected evolution of
those charts)that didn't happen. After a very snowy start I seem to
remember much of the UK and Europe remained snow covered. How much would
that have depressed the temperature had there not been such widespread
cover? I wonder if the same charts showed up now whether the same
expectation of cold would materialise. I doubt it, with Europe being
relatively mild still, sea temperatures warmer and I suppose +1C for GW.
Dave

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

On Tue, 06 Jan 2015 01:58:42 +0000
Dave Cornwell wrote:

Scott W wrote:
On Monday, 5 January 2015 23:14:39 UTC, Dave Cornwell wrote:
Looking at the historic charts earlier I noticed that there were
several, especially early on, that didn't look that cold. I know
there were several threatened thaws (probably based on expected
evolution of those charts)that didn't happen. After a very snowy
start I seem to remember much of the UK and Europe remained snow
covered. How much would that have depressed the temperature had
there not been such widespread cover? I wonder if the same charts
showed up now whether the same expectation of cold would
materialise. I doubt it, with Europe being relatively mild still,
sea temperatures warmer and I suppose +1C for GW. Dave

An interesting theory, Dave, but wasn't much of the North West very
sunny with little snow during the period.

----------------------------------------------
Not as bad in NW and parts of Scotland for sure although I think they
had some snow around. But South and East of there and throughout most
of Northern Europe had snow cover for at least a couple of months as
I remember.

One point often forgotten about that winter is that it was pretty cold
before the Boxing Day snow. The CET average mean temperature for
December was only +1.8C with average min of -1.1C (there have only
been 10 Decembers with sub-zero mins since 1900). The ground was frozen
hard before the snow fell and, at the time, we thought this was as
least as important in maintaining the cold spell as the snow cover.

By the end of February, the North Sea SST had areas such as the
Dogger Bank that were sub-zero so that wasn't much help as a source of
warmth.

--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks.
[Retired meteorologist and computer programmer]
Posted with Claws: http://www.claws-mail.org/

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

Malcolm wrote:


In article , Scott W
writes
On Monday, 5 January 2015 23:14:39 UTC, Dave Cornwell wrote:
Looking at the historic charts earlier I noticed that there were
several, especially early on, that didn't look that cold. I know there
were several threatened thaws (probably based on expected evolution of
those charts)that didn't happen. After a very snowy start I seem to
remember much of the UK and Europe remained snow covered. How much would
that have depressed the temperature had there not been such widespread
cover? I wonder if the same charts showed up now whether the same
expectation of cold would materialise. I doubt it, with Europe being
relatively mild still, sea temperatures warmer and I suppose +1C for GW.
Dave

An interesting theory, Dave, but wasn't much of the North West very sunny
with little snow during the period.

I was on the north side of the Solway Firth in early February and there had
been no snow by then, just very hard frosts.

I was working at Prestwick Airport that winter, commuting 30 miles by motorbike
from Largs. It was an almost snow-free winter in that part of the country
though very frosty at times.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.
http://peakdistrictweather.org

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

Dave Cornwell wrote:

Looking at the historic charts earlier I noticed that there were several,
especially early on, that didn't look that cold. I know there were several
threatened thaws (probably based on expected evolution of those charts)that
didn't happen. After a very snowy start I seem to remember much of the UK and
Europe remained snow covered. How much would that have depressed the
temperature had there not been such widespread cover? I wonder if the same
charts showed up now whether the same expectation of cold would materialise.
I doubt it, with Europe being relatively mild still, sea temperatures warmer
and I suppose +1C for GW. Dave

The excellent web-site on the 1962/63 winter created by the late Mike Tullett
is still 'live'. It can be found at

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/mtullett/1962-63/

It includes daily synoptic charts scanned from the Met Office Daily Weather
Report.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.
http://peakdistrictweather.org

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

In message , Dave Cornwell
writes
Looking at the historic charts earlier I noticed that there were
several, especially early on, that didn't look that cold. I know there
were several threatened thaws (probably based on expected evolution of
those charts)that didn't happen. After a very snowy start I seem to
remember much of the UK and Europe remained snow covered. How much
would that have depressed the temperature had there not been such
widespread cover?

I think that, especially when winds are light, a deep snow cover can
depress temperatures quite a lot, though I'm reluctant to try to put a
figure on it.

I wonder if the same charts showed up now whether the same expectation
of cold would materialise. I doubt it, with Europe being relatively
mild still, sea temperatures warmer and I suppose +1C for GW.

Yes, sea temperatures must have a big effect.
--
I'm not paid to implement the recognition of irony.
(Taken, with the author's permission, from a LiveJournal post)

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

Solway Firth in early February and there had
been no snow by then, just very hard frosts.

I was working at Prestwick Airport that winter, commuting 30
miles by motorbike
from Largs. It was an almost snow-free winter in that part of
the country
though very frosty at times.

I was at school in St Andrews and we had snow cover for several
weeks during the winter term (January to March), relieving us of
the tedious chore of chasing some sort of ball round some patch
of grass every afternoon. We were allowed to go sledging
instead, which was much more enjoyable.

Anne

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

An interesting theory, Dave, but wasn't much of the North West
very sunny with little snow during the period.

That would probably depend on which North West you are referring
to.

Anne

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

On 6 Jan 2015 08:32:37 GMT, "Norman" wrote:

I was working at Prestwick Airport that winter,

I left Basingstoke, Hampshire, just after lunch on Boxing Day to drive
to Aberporth, Cardiganshire in my Mini Van. When I left Basingstoke it
was lightly snowing out of a blue sky. By the time I reached Gloucester
conditions were very bad and Radnor Forest, on the A44, was horrendous
in the dark. Many times I was on full opposite lock and reached
Aberystwyth with a great feeling of relief. The coast road, the A487,
was clear of snow and I was able to cruise at my normal 50 mph. When I
stopped to clear the snow from the front of the van I discovered, to my
horror, that the road was a sheet of ice and can only conclude that the
snowbound A44 had honed my slippery road driving skills to the point
that I was automatically correcting for the icy A487. I slowed down for
the remaining few miles.

The boss's secretary was famous for taking a lunchtime dip whatever the
weather. She reported that the sea was freezing on the rocks in the bay
at Aberporth so the sea temperature must have been pretty low.

--
Alan White
Mozilla Firefox and Forte Agent.
By Loch Long, twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, Scotland.
Webcam and weather:- http://windycroft.co.uk/weather

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

In message , Norman
writes
Malcolm wrote:


In article , Scott W
writes

An interesting theory, Dave, but wasn't much of the North West very sunny
with little snow during the period.

I was on the north side of the Solway Firth in early February and there had
been no snow by then, just very hard frosts.

I was working at Prestwick Airport that winter, commuting 30 miles by motorbike
from Largs. It was an almost snow-free winter in that part of the country
though very frosty at times.


I believe that February 1947 was similar, being almost snowless (and
almost rainless) in western Scotland. The persistent easterlies meant
that the "rain shadow" effect was on the western side of Scotland rather
than the more usual east.
--
I'm not paid to implement the recognition of irony.
(Taken, with the author's permission, from a LiveJournal post)

1963 winter and snow cover.
 

"John Hall" wrote in message
.. .
In message , Norman
writes
Malcolm wrote:


In article ,
Scott W
writes

An interesting theory, Dave, but wasn't much of the North West very
sunny
with little snow during the period.

I was on the north side of the Solway Firth in early February and there
had
been no snow by then, just very hard frosts.

I was working at Prestwick Airport that winter, commuting 30 miles by
motorbike
from Largs. It was an almost snow-free winter in that part of the country
though very frosty at times.


I believe that February 1947 was similar, being almost snowless (and
almost rainless) in western Scotland. The persistent easterlies meant that
the "rain shadow" effect was on the western side of Scotland rather than
the more usual east.

Hardly any snow in Manchester in 1962/1963. But we did get days of light
drizzly snow which was being blown off the Pennines to the east. As a boy of
10 I could see the Pennines shining white and deep snow was only a few miles
away in the foothills but I couldn't get there :-( It was very icy though
IIRC.

Will
--
http://www.lyneside.demon.co.uk/Hayt...antage_Pro.htm
Will Hand (Haytor, Devon, 1017 feet asl)
---------------------------------------------