30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

On 04/01/2017 11:43, Scott W wrote:
I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA


On 12/1/87 the maximum temperature in Epping was -8.0c and the minimum
was -10.0C. As you imply the 'snow depth gradient' was very steep NW-SE
with SE Essex/E London and N Kent receiving much greater falls than
places like Epping. However it was the severe frost that caused many
problems, particularly in older buildings.
On the Monday (12/1/87) I accompanied a group of young scholars to the
Science Museum. Despite the cold and snow they were happy to walk to the
station (and they behaved themselves). It was a strange sight to see
Exhibition Road covered in that thick brownish frozen dust which occurs
when temperatures are presumably too low for treatment to be effective.
Not so good news for the school roof however. It eventually had to be
replaced after a water tank/pipe burst after a thaw. But that's another
story.

--
George in Swanston, Edinburgh, 580'asl
www.swanstonweather.co.uk
www.eppingweather.co.uk
www.winter1947.co.uk

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

On Wednesday, 4 January 2017 11:43:33 UTC, Scott W wrote:
I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even here on the SW Devon coast in Wembury, this was the coldest spell I experienced since moving here in 1983.

We had four sucessive ice days and my record min of -10.1 C was recorded which still stands.
Max and min in Jan 1987
11th -1.3 -4.1
12th -2.3 -8.0
13th -3.8 -10.1
14th -4.0 -6.9

We had 2 inches of snow on 12th.

With quite a biting easterly wind it was hard to keep our bungalow warm.
Cold was coming up through the floors so I blocked the air bricks and we covered the floors with anything we had handy, old carpet, blankets...

I remember another effect of the extreme cold was to make all the leaves turn black on the privet hedge down the length of our garden.
They subsequently fell off.
The hedge did recover the next summer though.

Len
Wembury, SW Devon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

On 04/01/2017 15:18, Len Wood wrote:
On Wednesday, 4 January 2017 11:43:33 UTC, Scott W wrote:
I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even here on the SW Devon coast in Wembury, this was the coldest spell I experienced since moving here in 1983.

We had four sucessive ice days and my record min of -10.1 C was recorded which still stands.
Max and min in Jan 1987
11th -1.3 -4.1
12th -2.3 -8.0
13th -3.8 -10.1
14th -4.0 -6.9

We had 2 inches of snow on 12th.

With quite a biting easterly wind it was hard to keep our bungalow warm.
Cold was coming up through the floors so I blocked the air bricks and we covered the floors with anything we had handy, old carpet, blankets...

I remember another effect of the extreme cold was to make all the leaves turn black on the privet hedge down the length of our garden.
They subsequently fell off.
The hedge did recover the next summer though.

Len
Wembury, SW Devon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------






My January 1987 data...
http://www.southendweather.net/Jan87.htm

--
Keith (Southend)
"Weather Home & Abroad"
http://www.southendweather.net
Twitter:@SS9Weatherman

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

On Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at 11:43:33 AM UTC, Scott W wrote:
I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA

Some very interesting responses - thanks all. Would everyone be happy to have their memories included in the blog?

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

Keith,

If I recall correctly there was very little snow down in Dover. I imagine your snow on the 12 was quite powdery.

There was a similar synoptic set up on 7/8th January 1985.

I was just wondering if you had records for these dates?

Cheers

Alan




On Wednesday, 4 January 2017 18:24:03 UTC, Keith (Southend)G wrote:
On 04/01/2017 15:18, Len Wood wrote:
On Wednesday, 4 January 2017 11:43:33 UTC, Scott W wrote:
I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even here on the SW Devon coast in Wembury, this was the coldest spell I experienced since moving here in 1983.

We had four sucessive ice days and my record min of -10.1 C was recorded which still stands.
Max and min in Jan 1987
11th -1.3 -4.1
12th -2.3 -8.0
13th -3.8 -10.1
14th -4.0 -6.9

We had 2 inches of snow on 12th.

With quite a biting easterly wind it was hard to keep our bungalow warm.
Cold was coming up through the floors so I blocked the air bricks and we covered the floors with anything we had handy, old carpet, blankets...

I remember another effect of the extreme cold was to make all the leaves turn black on the privet hedge down the length of our garden.
They subsequently fell off.
The hedge did recover the next summer though.

Len
Wembury, SW Devon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------






My January 1987 data...
http://www.southendweather.net/Jan87.htm

--
Keith (Southend)
"Weather Home & Abroad"
http://www.southendweather.net
Twitter:@SS9Weatherman

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

On 04/01/2017 19:07, Alan [Guildford] wrote:
Keith,

If I recall correctly there was very little snow down in Dover. I imagine your snow on the 12 was quite powdery.

There was a similar synoptic set up on 7/8th January 1985.

I was just wondering if you had records for these dates?

Cheers

Alan




Oh, those were the day :-)

http://www.southendweather.net/January_1985.htm


--
Keith (Southend)
"Weather Home & Abroad"
http://www.southendweather.net
Twitter:@SS9Weatherman

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

On Wednesday, 4 January 2017 18:45:58 UTC, Scott W wrote:
On Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at 11:43:33 AM UTC, Scott W wrote:
I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA

Some very interesting responses - thanks all. Would everyone be happy to have their memories included in the blog?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
You're welcome to Scott.
Len
================================================== ======================

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

In message ,
Scott W writes
I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that
cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the
net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to
reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA

Thanks, Scott. I see that on the coldest day, the 12th, Wanstead
struggled up to -5.5C, which must have made it one of the warmest places
in the south-eastern half of England.

In Cranleigh, we had a little snow on the Monday, I think it was, but it
didn't amount to much. We had to wait for overnight Tuesday/Wednesday
for serious snow, but then it certainly made up for lost time. On
Wednesday morning, the gritters must have done a remarkable job on the
roads, as traffic was moving - if slowly - on the B road that runs
through Cranleigh, and I was able to make the 8 mile journey to
Guildford Station. (It's lucky that Boris Johnson wasn't running the
buses.) But at the station, a railwayman was standing by the entrance
telling everyone: "There are no trains. We don't know when there will be
any trains. We advise you to go home." I managed to get a bus back to
Cranleigh, by which time the snow had just about stopped.
--
John Hall
"One can certainly imagine the myriad of uses
for a hand-held iguana maker"
Hobbes (the tiger, not the philosopher!)

30 years on: the January 1987 cold spell
 

In message ,
Scott W writes
On Wednesday, January 4, 2017 at 11:43:33 AM UTC, Scott W wrote:
I've written a few lines on my memory of the opening weekend of that
cold spell that happened 30 years ago next week. There's loads on the
net about it but in this age of mild winters it doesn't hurt to
reminisce. http://wp.me/p2VSmb-1WA

Some very interesting responses - thanks all. Would everyone be happy
to have their memories included in the blog?

Please do.

Incidentally your chart for 12:00 on the 12th shows that the temperature
at what looks like it might be Marseilles was -6C. I don't suppose that
happens often!
--
John Hall
"One can certainly imagine the myriad of uses
for a hand-held iguana maker"
Hobbes (the tiger, not the philosopher!)