The Great Snowstorm of April 1919 rarely gets mentioned as compared to the other past great April snow events. On the 26th of April 1919, an Arctic airflow plunged southwards over the UK which was followed by even colder air driving southwards as a low moved southwards down the North Sea on the 27th. A tremendous wet snowstorm developed as rain turned to snow inland as the preciptation became slow moving across the southeast of England. Depths of snow in the Home Counties to the north of London approached 40cm. As per usual, there was chaos in transport and telecommunications.
"Rainfall" totals for this event, on the coasts it was largely rain.
Rayleigh: 45.7mm
Chelmsford: 46.5mm
Colchester: 49.5mm
Great Bromley: 56.1mm
Felixstowe: 49.6mm
The snow rapidly melted when the snow stopped and there was flooding.
Two reports on this snowfall
Edmund Clark of Purley, Surrey
"Rain here began about 9.30am (GMT), gradually giving a steady downpour of rain and sleet. Before 4pm, it almost ceased. About 4.10pm, an ashen mist supervened, with fine snow from northwest. The rain beagn with wind from northwest, but it backed slowly to southeast by about 1pm and remained there until 4pm. By 4.30 it was snowing fast.
Snow fell nearly all night and at 6am showed a depth of 8 inches or over."
From E.R. Taylor of Tadworth, Surrey
"Snow and sleet began at 9.30am and fell lightly until the afternoon, mist and yellow fog at 4pm. Snow fell heavily from 7pm and all night. The depth of the undrifted snow was 8.5 inches. the ground was still covered with snow at 3.30pm. Times given are GMT.
Found some photos of this remarkable snowfall on this site.
http://www.oldreigate.com/?goto=gattonbottom
Edited by user
29 April 2018 17:38:47
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MANCHESTER SUMMER INDEX for 2021: 238
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