Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past

geezer466 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:06 pm **Posts:** 1307

Article Date March 2000

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/snowfalls-are-now-just-a-thing-of-the-past-724017.html

Quote:

The first two months of 2000 were virtually free of significant snowfall in much of lowland Britain, and December brought only moderate snowfall in the South-east. It is the continuation of a trend that has been increasingly visible in the past 15 years: in the south of England, for instance, from 1970 to 1995 snow and sleet fell for an average of 3.7 days, while from 1988 to 1995 the average was 0.7 days. London's last substantial snowfall was in February 1991.

Global warming, the heating of the atmosphere by increased amounts of industrial gases, is now accepted as a reality by the international community. Average temperatures in Britain were nearly 0.6Â°C higher in the Nineties than in 1960-90, and it is estimated that they will increase by 0.2C every decade over the coming century. Eight of the 10 hottest years on record occurred in the Nineties.

However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event".

"Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.

Kremmen · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:45 pm

There's always a scientist that knows better :lol:

Brian · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:05 pm

Wonder who funded his research.
:lol:

geezer466 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:06 pm **Posts:** 1307

Cue Jim to tell us about 1963....

Did it come down heavier then? Probably not, but as a society we are much more technical now and reliant on motor vehicles so we see the effect more. Can't see a train today shoving a snowplough off the front of it.

jim · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:10 pm **Posts:** 1461

worst one I remember was 48 when roads were closed apart from the main ones, even they had Ice bumps in them, Horses pulling carts could not go out as it was so slippery, all building work had ground to a halt, my dad at the time was in Sand and Ballast haulage of coarse with no building work going on there was no work in that line, so he hired out his lorries to Hinchclff coal merchants and we were out delivering coal to priority customers around Paddington, never been so well off in my life 16 going on 17 with my half share of tips and fiddle was getting £2 or £3 a trip and 2 sometimes 3 loads a day was a very rich lad, plus I was going through a purple patch that nights at the White City dog track finding winners was so easy and my funds just grew and grew, but like all things it did not last, although I bought my first motorbike, the Summer was one of the hottest I had known, the year the Olympic games at Wembley were on, and all my good fortune on the cash front dried up, it was the outstanding year of my single life.

jim · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:10 pm **Posts:** 1461

with the chaos at the airport due to the weather, its just as well that R3 never went ahead, folk sleeping in aircraft as the airport cant cope, many stranded in terrible conditions, hearded together like sheep, even into stranded empty aircraft to protect them from the weather, maybe just as well that R3 has been shelved imagine how that would have amplified their problem.

Pam · **Posted:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 3:33 pm

'63 WAS a bad one. We were visiting in Somerset for a few days over Christmas, but came home early because forecast was bad. Just as well, because our friends were seriously snowbound from that evening onwards!

Sunshine · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:36 pm **Posts:** 888

That was the year it started snowing on Boxing Day wasn't it.

I remember going to school on the bus in the snow. It was really cold in the school so we never really warmed up till we got back home again. Nobody would have thought of closing schools then - we just got on with it.

brrrr!

Pam · **Posted:** Sat Jan 19, 2013 6:55 pm

Yep it was Boxing Day. Had two tiny kids with us as well!

geezer466 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:06 pm **Posts:** 1307

Black and White program on BBC2 now about the 63 cold snap, it did start on Boxing Day although snow fell in Scotland on Xmas Eve.

I can't remember any of it..... Was only 4 years old..

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