What are peoples memories of this

There is something special about this rather than just snow falling

Did this happen in the winters of 1947 1963 or 1979

My memories are that i think it happened in the winter of 1985 and definitely in Dec 1990 - but this was overnight

Can anyone explain the synoptics of this - and how does the snow that started out as rain settle on the ground

If anyone can share charts and memories of this rare event - that would be great

And a message for Gavin P - if you are doing a historic video this Xmas this would be very nice to see - if you can find a classic example of rain turning to snow

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It happened Boxing Day evening last year. Evaporative cooling and heavy precipitation did the trick.



And again at the end of January 2015 when frequent showers turned more and more to snow during the morning.



It is the snowfall that catches people out including forecasters.

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Hi Sriam,

 

I think this years historic video will be 85-86. However, there was a fantastic rain > snow event in December 1990 and that was covered during last Christmas Day's historic video for 1990/1991;

http://www.gavsweathervids.com/february91.php

Enjoy!

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Does today count?

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Most memories of this was in the winter of 89-90. Well reknowned as a mild winter but 13th and 18th December, along with 28th January, all saw daytime rain turn to snow. The January one coincided with flooding and seeing parts of the flood plains frozen over from the cooling of the heavy snow, followed by clear skies, was unexpected. No ice in/near the main river though due to the speedy flow and mixing bringing up less cold water from below.

Snow didnt last long though before mild air swept back in.

February 1985. I think it was February rather than January. That was really spectacular.

 

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I feel the opposite - the thought that valuable minutes of falling snow is wasted as the snow just melts on landing genuinely puts a downer on it for me.

The best snowfall for me comes after several days of severe cold, so the flakes stick straight away. Like in Dec 10. Failing that, a covering of graupel falling first will put down a good base.

 

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The worst is the opposite when you get huge big wet flakes of snow that gradually turn to rain and as the temp rises a fog/mist forms over the fallen snow.
More rain to snow events please!

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Quite a few over past few years... Lost recent being Feb 2013... Persistent heavy rain slowly turned to heavy sleet then heavy snow that eventually stuck... 8cm or so lying by morning. Pity it wasn't a smidgen colder, as we could have easily had a foot+

Other times, December 2009 (a few days after first main snowfall), then December 2010 as cold returned with avengence mid-month.

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Is this really rare? It's happened twice here in the last couple of weeks, due to I suspect to evaporative cooling.

We had a rain to snow event today which was nice but nothing like my deep memories.

One of my earliest memories of a child (aged 7) was an event in Birmingham in February 1968, of course I didn't understand the Synoptics at the time but looking at the weather maps for that day a shallow low moved across Southern England with a rain to snow event on its northern flank.

I remember being at school and heavy rain was falling at lunchtime but then around 1pm the first snow flakes appeared in the rain, within minutes these flakes became dominant and by afternoon break 2.30pm snow was falling heavily and accumulating rapidly.

My parents picked me up from school at 3.30pm by which time the whole of east Birmingham was at a standstill with 4inches of snow bringing chaos on the roads which were littered with broken down cars and accidents.

Looking at weather records for that day 12 cms fell at Birmingham airport while 16cms fell at Birmingham University, yet Nottingham University recorded no snow at all only heavy rain! It appears milder air was drawn north to the east of the low while Arctic air filtered south to the west.

Whatever the reason it was a great rain to snow event.

Andy

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Been quite a few over the years . A 1993 rain--->snow event stands out esp as the ground was saturated after a day's worth of heavy rain, yet after sunset there was still enough mileage in that depression to squeeze out 4-6" of laying snow and the deep puddles froze.

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That is an amazing vid. Can't be sure but it looks as if snow is falling near the clouds long before the  'snowline' reached the surface?

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Yes that is snow level dropping lower and lower. I can tell if snow is falling higher up but melts to rain at lower level at night by a distinct line caused in the reflection of light pollution. When the snow line is fairly low, light pollution levels are lower.

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