K. Log of 'White Christmas' events ......
( as gleaned from the records held in the National
Meteorological Library, [once at Bracknell, now at Exeter] and other sources.
)
ALTHOUGH I HAVE TAKEN EVERY CARE IN THE ANALYSIS BELOW, INEVITABLY THERE
WILL BE MISTAKES (I HOPE NOT MAJOR ONES), BUT INTERPRETATION FOR THESE PURPOSES
WILL BE SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE. IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW, PLEASE LET ME
KNOW ... BUT BACKED UP WITH REFERENCES, SOLID OBSERVATIONS ETC. ALSO,
REMEMBER THAT I AM ONLY CONSIDERING 'POPULATED' AREAS WITHIN THE MAP AREAS SET
OUT BELOW ... NOT THE UPLAND FELLS OF CUMBRIA!
1900 - 1939
1901: Snow lying on the 25th at Manchester.
1906:? Manchester ?; Southampton, snow from around 10pm. A widespread 'White
Christmas', but snow did not reach the London area until early on the 26th.
1913: ? Manchester ?
1916: Sleet (rain and snow mixed) reported from central London/no snow cover
reported.
1923: Glasgow snow falling and lying. Manchester snow lying.
1925: Glasgow snow falling and lying. Manchester snow lying.
1927: Snow falling at Belfast on Christmas Day. Sleet at Glasgow on Christmas
Day. Manchester (?); 'Classic blizzard' in London and Southampton. Snow reached
the Midlands by the early hours, and the southeast of England by 6pm on the
25th. Another true 'White'. (The snowstorm lasted through the 26th and 27th,
giving upwards of 6 inches in central London. )
1938: Very severe December. 12 inches of snow reported to have fallen over
eastern England and the east of Scotland. Over Northern Ireland and some
western parts of Britain, it was variously reported as 18 to 24 inches. This
was a 'true' White Christmas, with snow falling variously between the 18th and
the 26th.
And for the year - by - year summaries below, please refer to this map for
the areas chosen for analysis. Note that I have tried to pick out areas
containing major centres of population. The key is as follows:
KEY:: GSE=greater London/suburbs and the more populated SE/Home Counties of
England. MID='heart of England' Midlands as represented by places like
Birmingham, Coventry and the Potteries. WES=west of England for such places as
Bristol, Salisbury, Exeter and Southampton. NOR=the north country, including
Merseyside/greater Manchester, industrial west and south Yorkshire and the
northeast of England. WAL=populated areas of south and SE Wales. SCO=the
central belt of Scotland, and the eastern coastal belt through Fife to
Aberdeen. NIR=populated areas of east and north Ulster.
And the years from 1940 onwards ....
THE 1940s
THE 1950s
THE 1960s
THE 1970s
THE 1980s
THE 1990s
THE 2000s
| YEAR |
GSE |
MID |
WES |
NOR |
WAL |
SCO |
NIR |
NOTES |
| 2000 |
- |
(1) |
(1) |
(2) |
- |
(3) |
- |
X (4) |
| (1): By any sensible definition: NIL!
Bristol & Birmingham managed to trigger the bookies definition due to
sleet/v. light snow shower. (2): Many principal centres (e.g. Newcastle, Leeds
& Manchester) saw some snow in some form. Best was in Pennine towns of
Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield etc.), and in the NE. 1cm lying snow in
Durham. Manchester caught showers crossing the Pennines - no cover. (3): Plenty
of snow showers overnight/morning 24th/25th - significant covering (though not
deep- somewhere around 2 cm), but made the tv news bulletins!(4) Nationally,
not worth noting, but for Scotland, a useful event. |
| 2001 |
(1) |
(1) |
(1) |
(2) |
(1) |
(3) |
(4) |
X
(5) |
| (1): Conflicting reports - mainly
rasn/soft hail but certainly not worth the mention except for the punters -
snow showers late afternoon/evening Cardiff but no cover; (2): useful snow
showers etc., penetrating later in the day across Wirral/Lancs plain etc., also
the Lancashire Pennine towns, also wintry showers English NE coast; (3): Mainly
Aberdeenshire/NE Scotland (3cm by evening Dyce)- plenty of snow showers, snow
cover etc. - very hit & miss elsewhere; (4) the best and 'true' example
this year, with snow Christmas Eve right through to Boxing Day: 5 to 10cm cover
in places. (5): taking the UK as a whole, I would say 'no', but locally for NI
& NE Scotland, then a good example. |
| 2002 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
| 2003 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
| YEAR |
GSE |
MID |
WES |
NOR |
WAL |
SCO |
NIR |
NOTES |
| 2004 |
- |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
- |
(4) |
(5) |
X(6) |
| (1): Hillier areas of the N & W
Midlands (e.g. Staffordshire) had snow showers & Birmingham 'triggered' a
"bookies" event, but for most a 'NIL' (or very poor) event; (2):
Moors (Dartmoor, Exmoor, Blackdown hills), but for many NIL or
patchy/localized; (3): areas exposed to NW (away from coasts) good event also
locally Northumbria - otherwise large areas NIL for Yorks/Derbys etc.; (4):
highly localized depending upon flow - Clyde/Glasgow/Ayrshire & NE Yes,
remainder, including Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife NO; (5): another 'good' event
for many; (6): a tricky event to categorize nationally - for many upland N
& W areas, plus lowlands where NW flow impinged, then 'YES'; for many in
the populated central & SE Britain, plus Yorkshire towns, CS England - poor
or NIL event. |
| 2005 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
| 2006 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
| 2007 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
| 2008 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
| YEAR |
GSE |
MID |
WES |
NOR |
WAL |
SCO |
NIR |
NOTES |
| 2009 |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
(7) |
(8) |
| (1): for the greater part, nil, but in an
narrow arc through the western & northern Home Counties, including the
Chilterns, old snow cover persisted. (2): For most, a nil event, but
Staffordshire hills kept some old snow, as did the Malvern Hills and some
places in the NE Midlands: also, in the early hours, a little sleet fell in
places (e.g. Birmingham airport). (3): generally nil, some old snow over higher
West Country moors & hillier areas bordering the Severn Valley. (4): most
of Yorkshire/NE England & upland areas generally had good cover from
previous falls; however, across the lowland Cheshire / Lancashire Plain it was
a poor event or it was clear, & there were large clear areas lowland S.
Yorkshire. New snowfall occurred after dark in places - though not great
accumulation. (5): sliver of old snow left upper "valleys", but for
most a 'nil' event. (6): generally good with plenty of snow leftover from
previous days falls, and some irregular 'new' snow in east/early in day, and
southwest/evening. (7): Irregular/old snow, plus some evening temporary/light
snow, before rain. (8): A 'good' event NOR, SCO & much NIR, mainly due to
snow from previous days lying (though thawing/sublimating this day), but all
these areas also had some 'new' snow, albeit not particularly plentiful. All
other areas either nil, or patchy/irregular/thawing with no 'new'
snow. |
THE 2010s
| YEAR |
GSE |
MID |
WES |
NOR |
WAL |
SCO |
NIR |
NOTES |
| 2010 |
(1) |
(1) |
(1) |
(2) |
(1) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
| (1): Broadly a 'good' event when
considering snow on the ground, however NO snow falling on Christmas Day,
similar to 1981 (q.v.): by this date (25th) the snow cover was getting worn,
having fallen the previous weekend (6-7 days ago). Amounts generally 2 to 8 cm,
but large areas in/around major cities thin/clear (e.g. London, inner
Birmingham); conversely across Devon and upland Wales, Midlands & hills
across the Home Counties, depths 10-15 cm reported, locally 20 cm or more. (2):
Again, snow had fallen previously - the cold, snowy weather having started in
the last week of November. On Christmas Day itself, isolated snow showers (or
soft hail / snow pellets) were reported running down NE England &
Yorkshire. The Lancashire/Cheshire Plain though (Greater Manchester /
Merseyside included) had NO snow falling, and some large areas with no or poor
cover. On the eastern side of the Pennines though, depths 3 to 8 cm within the
defined area, more across the Moors/Wolds and lower slopes of the Pennines.
(3): No problem with snow lying - plenty about and depths 4 to 8 cm with large
areas away from major conurbations 15 cm or more; on Christmas Day morning, a
scattering of snow showes drifted from the north or northwest, so 'yes' on both
accounts. (4): The whole of Ireland had experienced considerable snowfall
several days previously, but on the day itself, no snow falling. Amounts of
snow across Ulster 5-12 cm, but considerably less major conurbations and close
to the coast. (5): By my 'snow-lying' criterion, a 'good' event; by the
'bookies' snow-falling definition, SCO & NOR=yes, remainder=no.
|
| 2011 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
| 2012 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
| YEAR |
GSE |
MID |
WES |
NOR |
WAL |
SCO |
NIR |
NOTES |