Interesting the December of the 1870s, there were 4 very cold ones in that decade.

December 1870: CET 0.6C

Linton Park: An unusually severe wintry month; rather deep snow on ground from 8th to 13th and again from 21st to the end.
Banbury: Max temp. below 32F on 9 days
Culford: On the 24th, max temp was 22F and the min 1F. Mean temp for month was 30.9F
Bridport: Good skating on the 10th and also from the 23rd to the end of month. Eclipse of the sun seen to great advantage on the 22nd
Shifnal: The temp was below 32F on 23 nights. 3" of snow fell on the 9th and 1" on the 21st and again on the 28th.
Orleton: Cold and cloudy with frequent frosts. Much fog and rime, all rivers frozen over by the 31st. Max was only 17F on the 31st. Eclipse well seen.
Wigston: The mean temp for the last 11 days of the month was only 27.3F, snow fell continuously for 24hrs on the 9th, 4" deep on the level.
Killingholme: Surely Mr Bruham must be enrolled amongst the prophets. (reference to the author of the above letter)
Derby: On Christmas Eve the temp fell to 9F.
York: Snow continually from the 21st to the 31st.
Haverfordwest: The snow lying close to the high water mark and the icicles hanging from from the cliffs resembled the interior of stalactite caverns; they enormous size and length.
Dumfries: From 21st to close; frost intense with snow on several days, 2 to 4" deep.
Hawick: Since the 20th, the ground has had a covering of 4" and the ponds and streams a thick sheeting of ice.
Aberdeen: Snowstorm from 21st to 31st with intense cold. Aurorae on 13 nights. Soil frozen 1ft 6 inches deep.
Portree: On the evening of the 24th, 10" of snow fell
Greenwich: Mean temp of 33.6F

Worthing
21st 31.5F, 30.3F
22nd 27.0F, 24.0F
23rd 28.0F, 19.4F
24th 33.5F, 21.2F
25th 29.7F, 21.1F
26th 33.2F, 23.4F
27th 29.7F, 23.4F
28th 31.7F, 23.6F
29th 31.2F, 26.3F
30th 28.1F, 18.9F
31st 28.3F, 19.9F

Sidmouth
21st 35.8F, 34.6F
22nd 26.6F, 22.8F
23rd 32.6F, 19.4F
24th 36.2F, 21.2F
25th 33.4F, 22.4F
26th 36.2F, 22.7F
27th 32.3F, 25.3F
28th 33.3F, 25.3F
29th 33.1F, 29.0F
30th 31.8F, 25.5F
31st 36.6F, 21.2F

Horncastle
21st: 30.5F, 29.5F
22nd 28.5F, 21.5F
23rd 21.5F, 14.5F
24th 18.0F, 2.0F
25th 26.0F, 5.0F
26th 32.0F, 21.0F
27th 31.5F, 23.0F
28th 34.0F, 23.0F
29th 34.0F, 29.0F
30th 30.0F, 21.0F
31st 20.5F, 11.0F

December 1874 CET: -0.2C

15th and 16th: Heavy falls of snow over the SE and west of England, about 11 inches generally and in many places remained unmelted until the end of the year.
23rd: Rime in thorn-like spikes, half an inch long on the trees and ice spiculae in the air.
28th: Remarkable fall of snow on this and next day, depth average 17 inches (Meshaw)
Snow deeper than has been known for many years, about 18 inches deep on the level (Brampford Speke)
Minima reported on the 30th
Berkempstead: 13F
Oxford: 13F
Coventry: 16F
Hexham: -2F

Minima reported on the 31st
Dorking: 18F
Basingstoke: 9F
Ross-on-Wye: 5F
10F at Worksop
14.6F at Halifax

Tunbridge: a very severe month, mean temp. only 32.7F (-4.0F)
Forest Hill: Number of frosty nights (26) is more than I have ever recorded in any month.
Sheering Rectory: Mean temp: 31.9F (-6.6)
Sprowston: The rime continued on the trees from the 28th to 1st. Dead blackbirds were picked up in all directions.
Coston: Snow on ground from 11th to 31st inclusive. Many blackbirds and robins killed by cold.
Elterwater: There have been many falls of snow. which has been nearly covered all month.
Kirkstone Pass: In many places the snow was 8 feet deep in the roads, the snow was level with the top of the house at the south end, at least 30 inches has fallen.
Dingestow: More frost and skating than remembered.
Melrose: Heavy falls of snow and severe frosts, the total fall of snow amounted to a depth of 34 inches.

 

December 1878 CET: -0.3C

 December 1878 was a truely exceptional December even surpassing the severity of December 1981. The CET for December 1878 was -0.3 (cf. 0.3 for December 1981) and it was exceptionally snow, even more so than 1981. The one edge that December 1981 has over December 1878, is the low minima. Although, the minima were very low for December in 1878, they were not on the scale as 1981.

Here are some daily reports on this remarkable December.

Llandovery: The hardest frost set in that we have had for 18 years, the snow fell to a depth of 3ft. (7th)
Sunderland: 17" of snow (9th)
Littlehampton: Sharp frost and rime (10th)
Diss: Skating on ponds and low meadows. (10th)
Camborne: Heavy thunderstorm with snow (12th)
Cosgarne: Snow, thunder and lightning. (12th)
Castle Lough: Snow 6" deep by 11am (12th)
Exeter: Snow 6" deep.
Camborne: Heavy gale, wind SE; snow and lightning (13th)
Coston Rectory: Hoar frost; trees with an inch of rime on branches. (13th)
Fettercairn: Coldest day for 22 years ; ranging from 6 to 18F (13th)
St Lawrence: Heavy snow; 3" deep (14th)
Littlehampton: Men skated on the high road from the beach to the village (16th)
Exeter: The Exe frozen over near the bridge. (22nd)

Monthly reports
Camden Square: 19 consecutive days of frost (8th to 26th)
Margate: Frost on 22 days.
Bromley: The mean temp. of the month was below freezing point.
Littlehampton: Unusually cold.
Addington: Beautiful hoar frost lasting for many days at a time.
Holt: Bitterly cold, mean temp: 32.8F
Altarnum: Cold and snowy.
Cheltenham: Skating commenced on the 9th and continued until the 25th.
Manchester: Terribly severe
Boston: Ponds and drains were frozen sufficently to bear skaters on the 10th. On the 25th, the river Witham was frozen from Boston to Lincoln.
North Shields: Snow very frequent.
Castle Malgwyn: Very wintry; the river Teifi frozen over and people skating.
Tybritle: More snow and greater cold than has been for many years.
Hawick: The snowfall has been the severest and longest in duration experienced here for many years.
Quinish: Snow heavier than for several years past.
Portree: Unprecedented snowfall, with severe frost from 7th to 28th inclusive. So much snow has not since 1812 and according to tradition not for 200 years previously.
Gordon Castle: Snow 16" deep.
Grantown: Snow 2ft deep.
Nairn: One of the most severe months for many years; heavy snowfalls and very low temp.
Gairloch: Heaviest fall of snow for 30 years.
Lochbroom: Within the memory of man no such month has been known; for 24 days no abatement of the frost and snow.
Glenville: The severest December I ever knew or heard of in this locality.
Darrynane Abbey: The first three weeks, the severest frost known for many years, certainly since 1855.
Killaloe: Mean temp 31.3F, ground covered with snow from 13th to 28th.
Fitzwilliam Square: Frequent snowstorms, mean temp 32.5F
Drumcashel: Snow remained on the ground for 22 consecutive days.
Stewartstown: Severest weather for many years; snow never disappeared from 7th to 29th.
Monkstown: Much snow on 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 22nd. Skating continued from 5th to 26th.
Temperatures at Bingfield, Corbridge-upon-Tyne.

10th: 21f, 14f
11th: 20f, 10f
12th: 14f, 2f
13th: 12f, -4f
14th: 15f, -2F
15th: 20f, 6f
16th: 24f, 10f
17th: 15f, 7f
18th: 19f, 14f
19th: 31f, 21f
20th: 36f, 24f
21st: 24f, 14f
22nd: 21f, 11f
23rd: 19f, 15f
24th: 20f, 14f
25th: 10f, -2f

December 1879 CET: 0.7C

Camden Square
A month of fogs
Highest max: 52.8F (28th)
Lowest min: 16.1F (7th)
24 air frosts

Selborne
Heavy snow on 5th, prevailing wind north
Highest max: 47.0F (28th)
Lowest min: 8.0F (7th)

Banbury
Mean temp: 32.0F
Highest max: 52.0F (28th)
Lowest min: 8.0F (6th)

Culford
A remarkably cold month (mean themp: 30.4F) with much hoar frost and fog. Only 5 nights which did not fall below 32F and 10 days where it did not exceed as 32F for maximum. On the 6th, the thermometer registered 1F and on the surface of the snow, -6F.

Cossey
A dry cold month, Min in air on 2nd, 4F, and on snow -8F

Cirencester
Very cold with great prevalence of E and NE winds

Shifnal
The ice was 3 inches thick on the 1st and 4 inches by the 7th. Very little snow; much fog, especially from 16th to 19th. Milder weather set in on the 28th
Highest max: 53.0F (28th)
Lowest min: 11.0F (7th)
23 air frosts

Orleton
The rivers were all frozen by the 3rd.
Highest max: 57.0F (28th)
Lowest min: 13.0F (7th)
25 air frosts

Boston
During the first 2 weeks, the weather was intensely cold, the mean temp of that period being 24F or 16F below the average. The mean min temp 17F
Highest max: 53.0F (31st)
Lowest min: 0.0F (7th)
26 air frosts

Manchester
On the whole dry and cold, fog more prevalent than usual and on the 12th most intense. The cold on the 7th was also very intense and the temp recorded was 10F at Alexandra Park. 4 inches of snow on 6th.
Highest max: 48.0F (27th)
Lowest min: 10.0F (7th)

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Great post... Chances of a repeat in 2010's?... On basis that 1870 and 1874 were the first 2 of the series, then it follows that 2010 and 2014 will be the pattern this time!.... Ok, I accept that's wishful thinking in the extreme.

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Great post Kevin. Thanks for all that.

 

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There's no reason to assume not, most recent winters have seen particularly severe cold and snow - just not over us.
That isn't something that cannot easily be changed as 2010 and to some extent 2009 showed.

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Nice to see Banbury in the mix

Excellent info

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