December 1985 had been very mild up to Christmas then it turned much colder afterwards before turning milder just before New Year. I remember some really cold days with sharp frosts and snow falling on the 30th December. Interesting spell Christmas 85 to the 10th January 1986. Remember two frontal snow events in that period.

 

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I just remember the February of 1986. The first sub zero CET since January 1979 and the last sub zero CET until December 2010.

 

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Wow! I can't believe I stumbled across this. I knew Michael Fish did the forecast and I remember that the forecast underestimate the snowfall. It never turned to rain here and stayed as snow

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 love watching the old forecasts.

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Hi Gavin! Good to see you posting in here again, as it has been a while and hope all is well with you. Mind you, I'm trying to get in touch with my regular "pen pal" Positive John as he seemed to have disappeared without a trace on Facebook and in here and I'd like to know if he is alright.

Anyway, back on topic, indeed, the winter of 1986 was really well known for that icy cold February. After the initial snowfall at the beginning of the month, not much more snow fell thereafter but the good run of ice days and freezing cold nights meant that the snow cover and ice stayed around through the whole of the month. There was a final flourish of heavy snow on the 1st of March as Atlantic air tried to push back in from the west and came up against the cold air sitting over the UK, but eventually the Atlantic air won over and a rapid thaw set in a few days later.

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I remember that feb very well From Mid Feb to mid march I was on a four week residential training course at Hindhead approx 800 feet up in the surrey hills and there was snow on the ground there for the entire period and the first couple weeks the temp barely got above freezing 

I was in Swansea at the time and I recall that as the month progressed, ice was building up on the beach. Quite remarkable for a location that would normally be pretty mild during the winter.

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