Winter Weather Chat – A Particularly British Phenomena?

The British fascination with weather is practically a cultural trait. Foreign visitors often find this obsession with weather both amusing and bewildering — but for us Brits, it's like a national hobby!

The UK's position in the path of several different air masses means that winter weather can change quickly and dramatically, even in the same day. It can even create differences across a small area, with one place receiving snow, while a few miles down the road – nothing! Snow always seems to be anticipated with a mix of dread and excitement, usually because it’s so disruptive. Many adults hate it because it makes getting to work difficult, causes chaos on the roads, cancels trains and planes and is just another problem to overcome. Meanwhile ALL kids love it! Because its often means a day off school and well – it’s just FUN!
 
But there are some places where snow is definately not expected. So, spare a thought for the residents impacted in these unexpected examples:

Snow in Central Texas is nothing short of rare. Residents of Austin (with typical winter temperatures of 16c) were shocked when on Nov. 22 – 23, 1937, the city was deluged with almost a foot of heavy wet snow, which to this day, holds the record for total snow accumulation in Austin for a single storm event.

Despite chilly temperatures at night, snow in the Sahara Desert is very rare. In fact, it snowed there for only the fourth time in 40 years during January 2018. The rare weather event happened near the Algerian town of Ain Sefra and saw the region's renowned desert dunes covered in a deep layer of perfect white snow. A truly extraordinary sight.

A cold front blanketed the streets and high-rises of Las Vegas, along with surrounding mountains and desert in Nevada, in February 2019. The winter snowstorm covered the runways of Las Vegas’ airport with a rare 0.8 inches (2cm) of snow, causing cancellations and delays. With typical Feb. temperatures of 16c and 9 hours of sunshine - Las Vegas residents were stunned.

Snow is par for the course in Canada’s Newfoundland, but not quite at the level that capital St. John's saw in January 2020. A bomb cyclone brought high winds and dumped two feet six inches (0.7m) of snow in what was the city's highest daily snowfall since records began. The wind gusts caused dramatic snow drifts that buried cars, blocked roads and downed power lines. St. John’s sits at a similar latitude to Cornwall!

These examples show that unexpected cold weather, snow and ice can strike anywhere, so PREPARE NOW, order your ice grips and cold weather gear - because there's a good chance your postie might not get it to you if you wait until it starts snowing!

Have you experienced unusual cold weather events? How did they impact your area? We'd be pleased to receive your comments and stories. Leave your comments below, email us, or contact us through any of our social media sites, see the links in the footer.

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