London Records Measurable Snow Since December

Posted: March 9, 2023 10:30 am

The U.S. is not the only part of the Northern Hemisphere dealing with a blast of cold air and wintry precipitation. The city of London in the United Kingdom saw its first measurable snowfall since December on Wednesday as winter weather continues to spread across Northern Europe this week.

Coldest Air of the Season Grips Some Portions of the U.K.

The snow was triggered by a rush of Arctic air into the region. Numerous flights were either cancelled or delayed in London and across the continent on Wednesday. Forecasters are warning that more snow and bitterly cold temperatures are in store for the region in the coming days.

Despite the official start of astronomical spring just a few weeks away, the recent rash of cold temperatures was the coldest air of the season for some parts of the U.K. Snowfall during this time of the year is also rare for this part of the Commonwealth.

Snow was falling across London as the sun came up on Wednesday. This is the first accumulating snow that the city has seen since December 11. Unseasonably cold temperatures also accompanied this wintry precipitation. The town of Kinbrace in the Scottish Highlands dropped to 4 degrees, marking the lowest temperature reading in the entirety of the U.K. this winter. According to the Met Office, the reading was also the lowest temperature on record in the U.K. in 13 years.

Disruptions to Life in London

As one might imagine, the late winter snow storm triggered a host of disruptions to everyday life. Bristol Airport was forced to close for a short period as the result of heavy snow in the southwestern corner of England. Both Gatwick Airport and Heathrow International Airport were reporting several flight cancellations and delays because ground crews could not keep up with the falling snow. It was the first measurable snow at Heathrow since March of 2018.

Schools were closed in many parts of Wales, providing children with a rare snow day. The snow began falling late Tuesday with widespread accumulations of 1 to 3 inches. Some of the hardest hit areas recorded about 4 inches of snow.

These amounts are significant as London typically only sees two days with snow in the month of March. Not only is snow rare this time of the year, the accumulations are generally sparse, averaging only about 0.8 of an inch of total accumulation in the month. Prior to this week’s snow event, London had only seen 0.4 of an inch of the white stuff all winter season.

Frigid Air and Snow to Spread Eastward

The cold temperatures and the snow is spreading throughout northern Europe. The sudden change in the weather pattern is being blamed on a dip in the jet stream that is bringing in the Arctic air from the north. In addition to the U.K., the cold air is entrenching itself in the Netherlands and in the northern half of Germany.

Unfortunately for those ready for spring, more winter weather is in the forecast for later in the week for northern Europe. The next storm system is predicted to move over Wales and England by the end of the week before migrating into north-central Europe. Temperatures with this weather maker will be slightly warmer than what the region saw in the middle of the week, helping to mitigate widespread snow development.

However, some portions of central and northern U.K. may see up to 8 inches of snow on Thursday and Friday. Officials with the Met Office are warning residents that the gusty easterly winds could combine with the snow to create blizzard conditions and dangerous drifts.

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