An historical perspective of the climate statistics for Coventry during February 2018

Temperature

Last year, February was a very mild month, with a mean monthly temperature of 6.1ºC (1.6ºC above normal); only three February months had been milder than 2017 in the past 20 years (1998 2002 & 2011).

By contrast, February 2018 has been a cold month (mean 2.7C), making it the coldest February in Coventry since 1996 (2.6C).

Only six February months have been colder than this year in the past 40 years ( 1979, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991 and 1996). February 2018 ranks 26th coldest in our 126 year records, dating back to 1892.

There were 14 air frosts during February 2018, the most during February since 2013 (17). AS for ground frosts, we had 20 in February 2018, the most since 2010 (22).


Rainfall

February’s rainfall total of 30.0mm in Coventry was just 68% of the city’s 30 year average (1981-2010).

It was the driest February in Coventry since 2012 (23.4mm); only 4 February months have been drier than this in the past 20 years (2003, 2004, 2008 and 2012).

There were 9 snow days during February 2018, the highest incidence of February snow in Coventry since 2010 (10), though none were significant, little more than snow flurries and sleet.

It is interesting to note that we have 4 days of lying snow during February according Coventry’s 30-year averages (1981-2010), but just one thin covering this year, with just two snow lying day over the past 5 Februarys in the city. In fact, since the Millennium, we have averaged just 2.2 snow lying days during February, none of which was significant.


Sunshine

With 110.1 hours of sunshine, 40% higher than average, this has been the sunniest February in Coventry since 2016 (115.9hr), hardly noteworthy in itself over 124 years of records, apart from the fact that only 2 February months have recorded more sunshine than this year in the city since 1894 (2008 and 2012).



Days of note:

• 19th the mildest day of the month recorded a maximum temperature of 10.5C, the lowest such value in Coventry since 1986 (3.3C).

• 25th the sunniest day of the month recorded 9.3 hours of sunshine, making this the sunniest February day in Coventry since 1995 (9.4hr); that is the only February day with more sunshine that 25th February 2018 in the city since records began in 1894.

• 28th the coldest day during February 2018 recorded a maximum of -1.6C at Bablake; this was the coldest February day in the city since 1991 (-2.2C).

• 28th we recorded an overnight minimum of -6.4C on the last day of the month; this was the coldest February night in Coventry since 2012 (-8..3C).

Steve Jackson
Bablake Weather Station
Coventry UK