Tuesday 17 January 2012

Frosty nights, but not exactly winter!


There have been 4 consecutive frosty nights, and the pond has been frozen solid for 4 days, but it's hardly wintery weather. There were 3 days of 'snow' during December, although the 'snow' was. in fact, sleet with a limited amount of snow flakes, so it won't be a winter free of snow. However, it's beginning to look as this month could be devoid of snow. The last January without snow was in 2002, but snow-free Januaries are not that unusual. In 1989, 1990 and 1992 January was free of snow here, but according to Brazell, London Weather (1968), 'a January without at least local snow (in the London area) is rare and there have only been 5 years since 1900. The Januaries in question were 1904,1906,1916,1925 and 1944. By way of contrast, there were 21 days with sleet or snow falling in January 1963 and the ground remained snow covered throughout the month. A January without an air frost is extremely rare. In 2008 there was only 1 air frost in Morden, but it appears that the only January without an air frost in the Morden area was 1938.

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