A very severe winter with a CET of 0.4, winter 1813-14 extended well into March (27th December 1813 - 19th March 1814 CET: -0.6)

Also contains the longest known spell of subzero CET daily means (27th December 1813 - 27th January 1814 CET: -3.1)
The last of the Great Frost Fairs was held on the Thames in London

Here's an extract from Thomas Brown of Cirencester

"The frost commenced on the 26th December 1813, the thermometer placed against a house in Cirencester and taken at 8.30 am fluctuated between 12F and 22F for the first 3 weeks, during this period there were two falls of snow about 2 inches deep. The sky was clear and there was little wind always from the north or east. At the beginning of the fourth week, there was a great disturbance in the atmosphere, high winds and a fall of 15 inches of snow with deep drifts, stopping all traffic of the roads. Hard frosts followed, the thermometer falling to 10F on the 25th January, the wind then shifted to south and days thawed suceeded by frosty nights followed.
On the 3rd February, two dense concentric circles appeared around the moon and on the 5th we had snow and then a rapid thaw leaving only drifts of snow. The frost then resumed and continued with keen winds to the end of February; a slight tendency to thaw in the beginning of March was followed by a week of steady, clear, frosty weather until the 12th, about which time crystals of snow fell, then a week of cold easterly winds with severe frosts until the 20th March, when a south wind brought mild weather and rain."

Temperatures and wind direction at Tottenham

December

1. 37f, 33f E
2. 40f, 37f SE
3. 43f, 40f SE
4. 44f, 40f NE
5. 44f, 36f N
6. 44f, 36f N
7. 44f, 41f NE
8. 44f, 40f NE
9. 44f, 39f NE
10. 43f, 37f NE
11. 42f, 37f NE
12. 37f, 29f SE
13. 37f, 26f NW
14. 35f, 25f NW
15. 38f, 26f NW
16. 49f, 40f SW
17. 51f, 50f S
18. 54f, 44f SW
19. 50f, 35f SW
20. 45f, 31f W
21. 46f, 32f NE
22. 47f, 36f SW
23. 47f, 38f SW
24. 53f, 46f SW
25. 51f, 41f SW
26. 41f, 28f NW
27. 31f, 25f
28. 30f, 24f
29. 30f, 19f
30. 32f, 22f NW
31. 35f, 22f N

January

1. 31f, 20f
2. 32f, 28f
3. 33f, 29f
4. 33f, 25f E
5. 33f, 32f NE
6. 34f, 15f N
7. 28f, 11f NW
8. 31f, 12f NW
9. 29f, 8f NW
10. 26f, 21f NW
11. 25f, 15f SE
12. 27f, 15f N
13. 30f, 14f NE
14. 26f, 19f NE
15. 31f, 20f E
16. 32f, 22f NE
17. 30f, 11f N
18. 36f, 30f E
19. 34f, 28f NE
20. 33f, 14f NE
21. 26f, 14f VAR.
22. 32f, 8f N
23. 35f, 15f N
24. 33f, 24f VAR.
25. 36f, 20f VAR.
26. 36f, 33f SW
27. 39f, 33f W
28. 40f, 28f VAR.
29. 41f, 32f VAR.
30. 40f, 25f W
31. 38f, 26f NW

February

1. 36f, 26f NW
2. 41f, 24f N
3. 33f, 19f N
4. 32f, 19f W
5. 38f, 29f SW
6. 44f, 33f NW
7. 40f, 32f W
8. 50f, 35f SW
9. 47f, 40f SW
10. 49f, 42f SW
11. 50f, 35f S
12. 48f, 39f S
13. 46f, 37f SE
14. 41f, 29f NE
15. 38f, 29f NE
16. 39f, 28f NE
17. 33f, 19f NE
18. 39f, 30f NE
19. 40f, 23f NE
20. 31f, 18f VAR.
21. 34f, 19f SE
22. 32f, 21f E
23. 32f, 18f SE
24. 33f, 18f E
25, 34f, 21f SE
26. 35f, 24f NE
27. 39f, 26f SE
28. 41f, 30f SW

March

1. 45f, 31f VAR.
2. 45f, 31f SW
3. 42f, 30f E
4. 35f, 31f NE
5. 34f, 28f NE
6. 34f, 28f NE
7. 32f, 21f E
8. 33f, 26f NE
9. 34f, 27f NE
10. 35f, 29f NE
11. 41f, 32f NE
12. 39f, 21f NE
13. 38f, 30f N
14. 36f, 30f NE
15. 37f, 30f NE
16. 40f, 29f NE
17. 39f, 28f NE
18. 37f, 29f NE
19. 35f, 30f NE
20. 49f, 35f SE

Some daily reports
26th-29th Dec: A succession of thick fogs.
4th Jan: The air has been loaded with particles of freezing water. These attached themselves to all objects, crystallizing in the most regular and beautiful manner. A blade of grass was thus converted into a pretty thick stalagmite.
5th Jan: Snow early and during the day, the wind increasing in force from the NE.
6th Jan: A dark morning. Snow falling in some quantity. Instead of driving loose before the wind, it was collected occasionally into a ball, which rolled on, increasing till its weight stopped it, thousands of these were seen to be lying in the fields, some of which several inches in diameter.
11th Jan: The river Lea is now firmly frozen and the Thames so much encumbered with ice as that navigation is scarcely practicable. The quantity of snow which has fallen in the upper parts of hampshire is very great, lying in many places 15 feet deep.
Jan 13th: From the uncommon depth of the snow, the streets appeared almost deserted (Dublin)
15th Jan: The masses of ice and snow had accumulated in such quantities at London Bridge, on the upper side, yesterday that it was utterly impossible for barges or boats to pass up.
18th Jan: A snowy morning.
19th Jan: A snowy day
23rd Jan: Snow morning and evening.
24th Jan: About 2pm, a squall with plenty of snow.
26th Jan: Snow followed by small rain
27th Jan: A misty thaw.
29th Jan: Stormy, snow early then steady rain then followed by more snow.
31st Jan: Sudden heavy snow shower about 7pm
3rd Feb: All avenues from Cheapside to the different stairs on the banks of the river were distinguished by large chalked boards announcing "a safe footway over the River to Bankside." Several booths, formed of blankets and sail-cloths and ornamented with streamers and various signs were also erected in the very centre of the river., where the visitors could be accomodated with various luxuries. In one of the booths, the entertaining spectacle of a sheep roasting was exhibited.
5th Feb. Crimson sky at sunrise: hollow wind, snow and sleet.
7th Feb:
"Printed to commemorate a remarkably severe frost which commenced December 27, 1813, accompanied by an unusual thick fog, that continued 8 days ad was succeeded by a tremendous fall of snow, which prevented all communication with the Northern and Western raods for several days. The Thames presented a complete field of ice between London and Blackfriars bridges, on Monday the 31st of January 1814."

18th Feb: Much hoar frost, some rain evening.
19th Feb: Hoar frost
20th Feb: Hoar frost
22nd Feb: Hoar frost
1st Mar: Damp and cloudy, hollow wind, sleet pm.
2nd Mar: Rain and sleet at intervals.
3rd-8th Mar: Snow at intervals, the country has become white again with snow.
9th Mar: Snow more plentiful in the night
10-12th Mar: Snow at intervals.
21st Mar: Rainy

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What a fantastic set of archives there.

Excellent - cheers Kevin and thanks for that.

 

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Thanks Kev. Could this ever happen again I wonder.

 

I don't think the Thames could freeze - well, not with those sort of temps; it'd have to be much colder. It runs faster these days (since Bazelgette built his Embankment)

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