what happened in 2010 anyway? it was crap here about a weeks worth of frost and not much else.
now 62/63 thats a lot different and I was very lucky to see it taken from wiki
29–30 December 1962[edit]
On 29–30 December 1962 a blizzard swept across the South West of England and Wales. Snow drifted to over 20 feet (6.1 m) deep in places, driven on by gale force Easterly winds, blocking roads and railways. The snow stranded villagers and brought down powerlines.[2] The near-freezing temperatures meant that the snow cover lasted for over two months in some areas. Snow lay to 6 inches (15 cm) depth in Manchester city centre, 9 inches (23 cm) in Wythenshawe, and about 18 inches (45 cm) at Keele University in Staffordshire. By the end of the month, there were snow drifts 8 feet (2.4 m) deep in Kent and 15 feet (4.6 m) deep in the west.
January 1963[edit]
January 1963 was the coldest month of the 20th century, and the coldest since January 1814, with an average temperature of −2.1°C.[3] Much of England and Wales was snow-covered throughout the month.[2] The country started to freeze solid, with temperatures as low as −19.4 °C at Achany in Sutherland on the 11th. Freezing fog was a hazard for most of the country.[4]
In January 1963 the sea froze for 1 mile (1.6 km) out from shore at Herne Bay, Kent.[5][6] The sea also froze inshore in many places, removing many British inland water birds' usual last resort of finding food in estuaries and shallow sea. The sea froze 4 miles out to sea from Dunkirk, and BBC television news expressed a fear that the Strait of Dover would freeze across.[2] The upper reaches of the River Thames also froze over,[4][7] though it did not freeze in Central London, partly due to the hot effluent from two thermal power stations, Battersea and Bankside: the removal of the old multi-arched London Bridge, which obstructed the river's free flow, and the river embankments, make the river less likely to freeze in London than in earlier times (see River Thames frost fairs). On 20 January, 283 workers had to be rescued by RAF helicopters from Fylingdales, where they had been snowbound for several days.[2][8] The ice was thick enough in some places that people were skating on it,[2] and on 22 January a car was driven across the frozen Thames at Oxford.[2][8] Icicles hung from many roof gutterings; some of these were as long as a metre (3 feet, 3 inches).
February 1963[edit]
In February 1963 more snow came. It was also stormy with winds reaching Force 8 on the Beaufort scale (gale force winds).
A 36-hour blizzard caused heavy drifting snow in most parts of the country. Drifts reached 20 feet (6.1 m) in some areas and there were gale force winds reaching up to 81 mph (130 km/h). On the Isle of Man, wind speeds were recorded at 119 mph (191 km/h).
But IIRC, wasn't there a considerable amount of northern blocking already in place in 2009? I may be wrong, but I thought that the blocking was already there in November 2009? Any links to the archive charts of 2009 to prove or disprove this theory?
Originally Posted by: Polar Low
I've just run through the November 2009 archives and there wasn't any blocking to the north - just some over central Russia and later over northern/Arctic Canada
This was the 2009 chart for today:
http://modeles.meteociel.fr/modeles/reana/2009/archivesnh-2009-11-26-0-0.png
Originally Posted by: Russwirral
Well that IS interesting. As you say, not much northern blocking there at all.
Originally Posted by: moomin75
So - has 2010 replaced 62/63 as peoples dream winter scenario?
discuss....
Originally Posted by: Gandalf The White
Originally Posted by: moomin75