I don't think I can remember a winter month which has managed to be so cold, yet so mobile at the same time. December has a very good chance of coming in with a below average CET. Most below average CET winters have at least some decent cold spells in them, instead we have had this unusual set up of continuous slightly below average conditions where cold sectors have dominated and warm sectors pass through very quickly. Despite the cold sector dominance, the winds have always had a strong westerly component to them, meaning the cold air is always sourced from the north atlantic, and sometimes even Canada, never from the arctic regions, much less the continent.

So I ask does anyone remember a month so cold, yet so mobile, and could this month break any sort of records for this unusual pattern?

There was a January in the mid eighties which was zonal but much colder and much snowier. 1984 was it? Kevin will know.

January 1984. Amazing. I was living in Lancashire at the time.

Daytime maximums 0C or below with a westerly wind. Loads of snow as well.

December 2014 is a far cry from January 1984. Quantum, think your opening gambit is getting a bit carried away, and I doubt the CET will end up below average.

We currently have a -0.1C anomaly

1984 had a 0.0C anomaly which is unadjusted for global warming so is somewhat less impressive even than that.

Jeez.  Quantum, we are 12 days out of 31.  Jan 1984 was a far more exciting affair.  We even had one day of cold-zonality snow cover in Dover which is pushing things.  Northern Ireland got "plastered", several times.

No disrespect but can you claim a current anomaly of -0.1C to be a 'memorable' period? Personally I think Dec2014 won't be remembered because thus far it has been wholly normal and unremarkable.
Just an opinion you understand.

Put December down to a non wintry month...

For me, it has been one of the more interesting months this year but that isn't saying much. This year, as I mentioned in another thread, has been forgettable as a whole at the local level. 

At least for me, 2014 isn't going out on a snooze fest as most of the other months have been this year. 

Against other months over the years, December 2014 won't be a standout unless something remarkable happens in the second half.

December 1992, December 1999 and December 2011 (until the 20th) featured cold zonality.

All three months were however far more wintry than this disaster of a December which has barely managed 10 hours of frost, had only a few flakes of dandruff and only one night as low as -1C (only just).

There was a heavy but brief snowfall which I remember well on 16th December 1992. 1999 had a less deep snowfall the weekend before Christmas. December 2011 was the worst of those three months for snow but it still produced a 3cm covering on the 18th.

January 1984 did not have wind coming relentlessly from the W or SW. If it had it would have been dry and snowless here like this pathetic month. It was in fact very snowy due to synoptics like this:

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/archive/ra/1984/Rrea00119840124.gif

Southerly tracking lows, similar to last winter, but of course then they gave rain only

What about December 2010? Was that not colder and zonal too?

It's been an unremarkable December here so far and that looks like to continue according to the models. Temps about average, some light frosts, some strong winds, rain, showers, hail. We had a short period of sleety wet snow but anything settling has been restricted to above ~600m in the Brecon Beacons/Black Mountains (can see them from house).

Rainfall has been below average so far due to high pressure strong to the south and winds have been more NNW than the usual WSW/SW.

We had some settling slushy snow last December which is more than we've had this month so far

a totally unremarkable and instantly forgetable month here ,  a couple of light frosts, rather below average rainfall to date. a rather cold first few days though with unremitting gloom 

December 2010 Zonal?!

Good gracious - :-)