Has to be 1982

48 hour blizzard with thunder and lightning and two weeks to dig us out

3' to 4' deep lying snow.

6 years previous, the long hot summer of 1976

In recent times Dec 2010 was stunning for the cold in Warminster, but perhaps less snow than many elsewhere had. We did have a some in late Nov and then the two falls around Dec 17 and 21 (I think) which had the bonus of sticking around for a good 10 days.

The 2008-2009 winter included a marvellous spell of snow every day for 6 days, starting on the sunday and culminating in a some good depths by the friday (and two days of the Uni closing at Bath, so no work those days!). This was pretty much a classic for me.

The 2013 Jan snow was also great, mainly as it was forecast/trailed so early, and actually delivered too. (Plus another Friday off work to play in the snow...)

SW Wilts is not the best location for snow - growing up here I have had my share of disappointment (and jealosy...) but recent years have been good. We have not yet had a snow event where we do better than everyone else - we came close in Jan 2010 with the snow that hit North Hampshire missing us by 30-40 miles. This was the only time I've seen a 'take action' warning for Warminster from the Met, and in the event we only got about 4-5 inches, not the much higher totals of other parts. Close but no cigar. Maybe this year...

We were one of the parts of the NW that did very well in March 13. This little lot started on the morning of 22nd March. I walked up to my Fathers to take him some milk a few days later. This is the B6114 where it crosses the M62 between J22 and 23. I'd not seen a snow event like this since I was a kid in the 80s and certainly didn't expect to see it again. The road was finally cleared 11 days later:

This was as far as we got in the car

Some got a little further

but not past this

Matt.

January 2006 was disappointing for Western Europe, so close yet so far. Parts of Central and Eastern Europe had the coldest weather since January 1987.

Mind, winter 1994 was also good - the last time I saw a snow drift in England ....

1978-79 was a stunning deliverance of the true potential of winter.  Snow had been in short rations since the early seventies and apart from the odd fall - as in February 1978- was something of a vanishing luxury for lowland kids.

Then came along 30th December 1978 and New Year's Eve brought ice all over the insides of the single glazed windows, snow drifts in the porch and a maximum of -4c with 25 knot winds and blowing powder snow.

A new universe of experience was opened, the gate to fascination with the weather had been truly flung open.

WI

Unstickied???

I had a feeling that unsticking some stickie threads could prove to be a sticky situation amongst members and mods 

Some stickies have gone to the sub forum, like the sticky competition thread ones or something like that 

I remember those days

I was just 6/7 in the 78/9 winter, so my memories of that winter are sketchy. I do remember my mum taking me to see one of her friends on either a NYE or NYD, about a half mile walk away. It started snowing as we arrived and I remember making a small snowman in her friend's back garden, the two women fussing over me when I came back inside the house, hands frozen! And I remember the walk back in ever-deepening snow. I can't say I remember it being 1978/79, but can pinpoint it by snowfall event days!

I do remember 81/2 far, far better and in great detail!!

Of recent memories, I think Christmas 2010 has got to be my favourite winter memory - That "Dickensian Christmas morning" with deep snow cover and severe cold was very, very special. 

Yep, I'm a romantic at heart.

Certainly was special, the cold and the snow yes but also the length of the spell was noteworthy .

Those pics sure do take me back to that special time, thanks Matt.

The Christmas Eve Gavin's Thoughts that year was a bit special to write. Sadly I didn't think to save it, but out of all the one's I've done I think that would be the best one to look back on.

Did a search for Gavin's  Christmas Eve...  It brought the written up.  That brought up the one for the 17th...

Thanks Art.

Have you got a link?

I feel (as I opened my big gob) I should bump this thread till I can bump no more

A lot of my best winter memories have been shared here on TWO with other members.  There's nothing better than sharing your experience with other people who get just as excited as yourself.

However, my most memorable snowfall in 2010 was really disappointing as we were an isolated case, so I had nobody to share it with on here and getting excited on your own isn't as much fun.  I was posting about how hard and fast it was coming down and how deep it was getting but it was also getting a bit embarrassing as others were just posting about single snowflakes.  I was robbed of my moment.    

I remember doing my Silver Duke of Edinburgh in Snowdonia over easter weekend - in what i reckon was about 1997 ish

We started off the weekend in Betws-y-coed and headed west then north. By the time the sun was setting the temperature was beginning to drop. We just managed to get to the camp which was a field next to Lynn Crafnant. It was a horrible mix of rain sleet and wind. I was starting to get hyperthermia by the time i we ate dinner (corned beef hash). The other two lads got into their sleeping bags shortly after, and i was on washing up duty... for a whole hour i didnt move as I just couldnt get the energy to start... instead i jumped into my sleeping bag and promised to wash the pans in the morning.

During the night, i felt the temperature drop again, and woke to the sounds of my two companions wimpering... Man up i thought...

Until the morning when i realised the roof was a lot closer to my face than i remember it being earlier in the night. I got out the tent to find it had collapsed. under about 6-8 inches of snow which had fallen in the 6 hours we had been asleep. The tent was now 1 ft high and wrapped around my friends leaving me in the middle quite dry.

The following night the snow froze hard. I remember the guy ropes being like metal rods.

Blimy! What did you have to do to get Gold? No! Please don't tell me!

Caz, don't forget I got that too   - that's if you mean the night of November 30th, 2010.  No doubt that is one of the most spectacular snowfalls I've experienced.  We were very lucky that time because we got stuck under a very slow moving area of snowstorms, and woke up on December 1st to almost 40cm of level snow.  And it seemed incredible for so early in the season to get such a big dumping!

Remembering Decembers.

Naturally  DEC 2010 has featured prominently on this thread.Its worth remembering that it was a once in hundred year event -the previous sub zero December being  in 1890.

More typically December is wet,windy and on the mild side.However there is a tendency for an anticyclonic period mid month breaking down to milder conditions just before Xmas.In recent years both  2008 and 2009 had such spells marked by dry frosty conditions and superb hoar frost that rivaled snow on trees for its beauty.Between Xmas and the New Year wet stormy weather is the norm.However there are occasions when very cold conditions are established.This happened in 1978,1984 and 2008 and slightly earlier in the famous 1962/63 winter.

I was born in November 1945 so looking at the Decembers  of the last 70 years only 10 had a CET below 3 C roughly in every 7 years.The years are 1950,52,61,62,63,76,81,95,96,10.So which ones do I most remember for wintry weather.Answer December 62,81 and of course 2010.

December 62 started  with fog which got denser by the day with freezing fog persisting in my Midland home of Burton on Trent from the 3rd to the 7th of December.On the evening of the 5th visibility was less than.I was out delivering leaflets for the local post office and finished up walking in front of a bus that couldn't see the way round a corner!The fog cleared on the 7th and then the weather was unsettled with west to northwest flow up until the 21st of December.The 22nd had dense extremely wet fog which formed in a col.By the 23nd light easterly winds became established with frost persisting all day on Christmas eve and day and minima down to -9C. On boxing day light snow fell overnight I was out visiting friend who had just got the latest Buddy holly album and walked back home in the light snow thinking we had just missed the holy grail of a white Xmas!Over the next 5 days the temperature stayed below freezing and the easterly winds strengthened with heavy snow and drifting making my  half an hour bus journey extra exciting.By the 5th of January there was 6 inches of level snow which lay until the end of February.

Will post re 1981 and 2010 later.

!

Quality stuff Roger