[summer '85]

The start of February 1956 was truely exceptional with a remarkably cold airmass moving in on an easterly airstream over the UK.

Not a hint of a Scandinavian high at 28th January

But watch how it develops

Now watch how the intensely cold airmass is pulled towards the UK

 

The intensely cold airmass was pulled away from the UK as the easterly flow weakened.

 

 

The CET up to the 3rd of February 1956 was -6.2

Some of the lowest maximas for 60 years were recorded in this short period. The overall CET for Feb 1956 was -0.2

Over the coming week, Times article on this remarkable spell

From the 1st of February 1956 and the cold strikes

[Chris Alder]

Wow an impressive surge of sub -15C 850pha, GFS can't even conjour that up in FI now!

[Dave W]

It does try ;)
http://www.wetterzen...s/Rtavn3122.png

[Dave K]

Tutiempo archive shows the following Feb mins/maxes for Heathrow Airport (don't know if tutiempo has any data going as far back for other stations)

1st: -7.8 / -3.7
2nd: -8.3 / -3.1
3rd: -5.0 / +1.3
4th: -8.9 / +3.0

For 1st and 2nd daily mean -6 and -5.9!

http://www.tutiempo....-1956/37720.htm

[summer '85]

2nd of February 1956 edition

 

[summer '85]

From the 3rd of February 1956 edition

Some photos

[summer '85]

The mean temperature for February 1956 was 12F below normal for Saxony, eastern Bavaria and Bohemia with  the rest of the continent being at least 5F below normal.

Iceland and Greenland were 3 to 4F above normal, Spitsbergen 7F above norm.

A high pressure of 1074mb at Sakelhard, northwest Siberia was observed on the 15th

The mean pressure near the Gulf of Ob was 1040mb

February 1956 mean temperature anomalies

England and Wales: -8.0F
Scotland: -3.2F
Northern Ireland: -4.6F

[HSEA2]

The recent cold spell prompted me to look back into this...it appears to be the coldest Feb on record in large parts of France and Germany, colder than 1947. I guess similar to our recent cold snap, it afflicted the south east most, as the figs show.

Some UK mins

Marham: -16.7c (site record)
http://www.edp24.co....tation_1_526795
Waddington: -15.6c
http://eca.knmi.nl/u...n&stationid=351
Oxford: -8.9c
http://eca.knmi.nl/u...n&stationid=274