December 1981-January 1982 (2025)

December 1981 and January 1982 contained some of the coldest, snowiest and severest winter weather ever recorded in the UK

The coldest December since 1890 and the snowiest since 1878, December 1981 with a CET of 0.3 was one of the severest winter months of the 20th Century and yet it began mild and benign with double figure maxima.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119811203.gif

The severe winter spell began on the 8th and lasted to about the 27th for much of the UK.

During this period, there were record breaking frosts and continous snow cover.

On the 6th of December, fronts and lows tracked southeastwards across the UK from Greenland initially bringing rain but as the airmasses became increasingly colder, the rain turned to snow leaving a fairly general snow cover.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119811206.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219811208.gif

On the 11th December, a low tracked close to the English Channel and this brought heavy snowfalls to southern parts.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119811211.gif

As the low cleared away, the clear skies, the slack gradients and deep snow cover led to the start of the very severe frosts.

The night of the 12th/13th was exceptionally cold with minima of less than -20C was recorded in a few places with Shawbury recording -25.2C, the lowest minimum recorded during December since 1879. Many other places recorded minima between -10C and -20C. Daytime maxima were often sub-zero during this month

An intense low tracked through the Midlands later on the 13th and this gave blizzards and drifting snow but there was a temporary thaw in the south, however cold air returned on the 14th to these areas.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119811214.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219811214.gif

In the run-up to Christmas, there were further snowfalls and sharp frosts at night especially the nights of the 18th, 19th and 20th. They were no snowfalls on Christmas Day as the UK layed under a ridge of high pressure. It was not a white Christmas under betting conditions even though there was a good covering of snow in many places.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119811225.gif

The severe cold spell finally broke on the 26th as fronts moved into the west bringing first snow then rain as milder air displaced the colder airmass.

The run-up to the New Year was considerably milder than it had been for the previous two weeks.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119811230.gif

January 1982 had a CET of 2.6 but it will be remembered for the snowstorm and record low temperatures.

The month began mild with SWly winds, a continuation of the thaw that had begun at the end of December 1981.

Maxima were in double figures and there was heavy rain which caused flooding.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119820101.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219820103.gif

On the 4th, high pressure was intensifying over Greenland and Scandinavia and this gradually began to push southwards so by the 6th, the UK was under a ridge of very cold air from Greenland.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119820106.gif

A small polar low moved across the far north of Scotland bringing these areas, heavy snow showers.

The maximum temperature at Tummel Bridge was -13C and Braemar recorded a minimum of -23C. On the 8th, the minimum was -26.8C at Grantown-on-Spey.

The pressure gradient was increasing in the south as a front moved up from the south to displace the cold air sitting over the UK.

The winds strengthened and snow began to fall which drifted in the wind. The next 36-48 hours brought chaos to the south with continous snowfall and strong easterly winds bringing drifting and disrupting transport. A small low in the SW provided extra moisture for the system. In the east, level snow depths reached about 15cm but further west, snow depths were greater.

The Cotswolds, south Wales and Herefordshire recorded level snow depths of 30-40cm, Newport in Gwent:- 60cm, Carmarthen:- 60cm and Swansea:- 40cm. Drifts were well in excess of 7m in places.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119820109.gif

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219820109.gif

By the 10th, the high over Greenland moved across the UK. The subsequent clear skies and deep snow cover allowed intense cooling producing record low minima and very low daytime maxima. Newport in Shropshire recorded a minima of -26.1C on the 10th, the lowest ever minimum in England, a maxima of -10C was recorded at Benson, Oxon and -9C at Shawbury on the 13th. In Scotland, it was equally as cold with Braemar equalling the lowest ever recorded minima for the UK with -27.2C on the 10th.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119820110.gif

By the 14th, the high had slipped into Europe allowing mild air to come up from the Mediterrenean. Initially, this slid over the very cold air creating an inversion but by the 15th, the milder air had reached sea level and there was a thaw. The thaw was gentle and there was no serious flooding.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119820114.gif

The rest of the month was generally mild but there was brief northerly plunge around the 26th and 27th.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119820127.gif

December 1981: 0.3

January 1982: 2.6

Coldest spells of December/January

8th-14th Dec 1981: -3.5

16th-20th Dec 1981: -2.6

22nd-26th Dec 1981: -1.3

6th-15th Jan 1982: -4.0

The first half of December: 0.9

The second half of December: -0.2

The first half of January: -0.4

The second half of January: 5.5

The period 16th December-15th January: -0.3

December CET mean max. 3.3

December CET mean min. -2.7

DECEMBER

Coldest CET daily maximum: -3.8 12th December

Mildest CET daily maximum: 10.4 3rd December

Coldest CET daily minimum: -15.9 13th December

JANUARY

Coldest CET daily maximum: -2.8 13th January

Mildest CET daily maximum: 11.8 2nd January

Coldest CET daily minimum: -12.9 14th January

Record December daily minimum set in 1981

11th. -15.0

12th. -22.6

13th. -25.2

17th. -18.0

18th. -18.6

19th. -18.8

26th. -17.7

Record January daily minimum set in 1982

7th. -22.6

8th. -26.8

9th. -25.9

10th. -27.2

11th. -26.6

12th. -21.8

DECEMBER 1981

Heathrow

Mean Max: 4.0 Mean Min: -0.9 Air frosts: 16 Falling sleet/snow: 10 Lowest Min: -11.8

Plymouth

Mean Max: 7.8 Mean Min: 2.8 Air frosts: 6 Falling sleet/snow: 3 Lowest Min: -5.6

Elmdon

Mean Max: 2.3 Mean Min: -3.2 Air frosts: 21 Falling sleet/snow: 15 Lowest Min: -18.5

Manchester

Mean Max: 2.8 Mean Min: -1.5 Air frosts: 18 Falling sleet/snow: 15 Lowest Min: -13.5

Glasgow

Mean Max: 1.3 Mean Min: -4.7 Air frosts: 20 Falling sleet/snow: 12 Lowest Min: -16.9

Belfast

Mean Max: 4.0 Mean Min: 0.2 Air frosts: 13 Falling sleet/snow: 10 Lowest Min: -11.0

JANUARY 1982

Heathrow

Mean Max: 6.8 Mean Min: 1.3 Air frosts: 12 Falling sleet/snow: 2 Lowest Min: -10.1

Plymouth

Mean Max: 8.0 Mean Min: 4.5 Air frosts: 6 Falling sleet/snow: 5 Lowest Min: -2.5

Elmdon

Mean Max: 4.8 Mean Min: -0.8 Air frosts: 15 Falling sleet/snow: 6 Lowest Min: -20.8

Manchester

Mean Max: 5.8 Mean Min: 1.1 Air frosts: 13 Falling sleet/snow: 3 Lowest Min: -11.5

Glasgow

Mean Max: 4.8 Mean Min: -0.2 Air frosts: 12 Falling sleet/snow: 5 Lowest Min: -17.3

Belfast

Mean Max: 6.1 Mean Min: 1.9 Air frosts: 11 Falling sleet/snow: 5 Lowest Min: -10.4

Photos

http://www.btinternet.com/~alan.c.edwards/cmsnow10.jpg

http://www.btinternet.com/~alan.c.edwards/cmsnow11.jpg

http://www.page-net.com/swansea.localhisto...seinonjan82.jpg

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/im...0JCB%20copy.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/history/sites/w...es/snow_200.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/remem...edyn_street.jpg

December 1981-January 1982 (2025)
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