Cold snap  UK. Our worst winters.

We have been spared a cold winter this time round and for that we should be thankful but bear in mind that this is not always the case. Think back to 2018 and the famous “beast from the East” a Siberian wind that brought thick deep snow and freezing wind chill for several weeks.  Months before, in January, we’d had mild weather for the year. It’s not the first time Britain has been blasted by cold winds. It’s a good idea to seek out some decent Hereford Double Glazing specialists as that part of the world gets hit pretty bad when the cold does come.

Bear in mind that we’ve only been recording temperatures properly since the 1600’s. There were probably worse ones before then that are simply lost to the ages.

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1683/84. This is the first recorded bad, cold winter. Considering the time it would have been catastrophic for the country without the preservatives and food storage that we have today.

1739/40 is the next. This was the time of Frost Fairs on the Thames. Europe was starting to come out of a mini Ice age that lasted into the Victorian era. It’s one of the reasons we have so many Victorian themed snow covered images at Christmas. Back then they could rely on seasons following a pattern.

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1962/63.This is the benchmark that we set in the modern era. Whenever we experience a cold snap now it is immediately likened to 1962/63, generally with the comment that nothing could be as bad as that.

In most cases these winters occur when a strong Northerly or Easterly wind meets a rainy milder Westerly and freezes it. More often though the westerly wins and we have the usual mild, wet winter.