Local Forecasts, History & Records
Ice and Snow in Durham UK
The coldest since ….. I’ve seen several reports in the newspapers and online saying last winter was ‘the coldest since 1962-63’. This is a little bit misleading. Whilst it had one particularly cold month (December 2010), last winter was not particularly cold overall (if we take the winter months December to February). It’s average was 3.1 degC. This was because, …
This list has been compiled from CET records after we experienced the coldest December for more than a century in Durham. In a climate that has shown a seemingly inexorable rise in temperature, December 2010 came as a huge shock to the system. Christmas Day 2010 ranks third in a series going back to 1772, marginally behind 1830. Coldest Christmas …
The River Wear froze in Durham in late November/December 2010. Here’s a daily weather diary of the period with photographs of the brutal spell of weather we hadn’t experienced for a long time. November/December 2010 25th Nov Snow cover at 0900hrs. 2″ in Ferryhill, 5-6″ in Newcastle. 26th Nov Snow cover continuing. Brighter, with improvement in road conditions …
A diary of the weather from late December 2009 and early 2010. It was a very snowy winter and at times also very cold in Durham. December 2009 – January 2010 Really cold weather kicked in around 17th December 2009 and didn’t let up for a month. Some lowland places had over a month of snowcover between mid December 2009 …
January 1987. This month saw an exceptional cold spell resulting from an easterly airstream which began in earnest on the 9th, with cold air starting to feed in from the 7th. Before that here was a wet start to the month. Then the maximum at Aviemore was -5C on the 8th and 9th. On the 9th, an anticyclone anchored over …
After several days of speculation, the cold front eventually arrived, revealing the true power of the Arctic airstream we’d been promised. The temperature fell from +1.5 degC at noon to -2.0 degC at 1pm, with a ferocious blizzard of fine powder snow. This is probably the most impressive cold front passage since the mid 80’s, with additions to the lying …
December 1981 was a phenomenally cold snowy month in Durham (along with the first half of January 1982). Snow lay for most of the month as a result of several heavy falls in the region. Coming so soon after the cold winter of 1978-79, we had become used to ‘proper winters’. There were some brutally low temperatures, double figure negative …
February 1991. A very cold first half in the south, but mild second half. Overall temperature: CET average of 1.5. There was a notable ten day cold spell at the beginning, as NE winds brought in some very cold air from north Russia, leading to snow across most of Britain and some very low temperatures, making this the most severe …
In 1998, Bob visited Houghall College (now East Durham College’s Houghall Campus in Durham) and chats to horticulture lecturer Trevor Green, to discuss the Houghall Frost Hollow. Aired on Tuesday 24th February 1998.