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Worst hit areas in the southeast of England were parts of northwest Kent and Surrey where several inches of snow were recorded. Bromley reported up to 9 inches (23cm).

The last time that the southeast saw such a snow event was during the beginning of February 1991. Between 7th and 9th parts of Kent, Sussex and Surrey received over 8 inches (20cm).

Kaye Forster

During Saturday 31st January an area of high pressure moved across Scandinavia which caused the winds across the UK to change from a southerly direction to a south-easterly direction. This brought in much colder air from the near continent and caused the temperatures to dive. Maximum temperatures in the southeast during Saturday reached just 4 Celsius (39 Fahrenheit). However it remained dry and sunny.

During Sunday 1st February the winds turned more easterly in direction and strengthened. This brought in even colder air from Siberia and maximum temperatures reached just 2 Celsius on Sunday afternoon. It was a bitterly cold feeling day with strong and gusty easterly winds making it feel more like -7 Celsius (19 Fahrenheit) with a significant wind-chill element.

With the winds taking more of an easterly track, the air was able to pick up moisture from a slightly warmer North Sea and later in the afternoon the winds brought in some light snow showers along the east and north Kent coastlines.

During Sunday evening and overnight into Monday morning the snow showers became more persistent, heavy and widespread, filtering further inland on a strong wind. With road surface temperatures already sub-zero the snow quickly began to accumulate. By Monday morning several inches had already fallen but the worst was still to come.

Bluebell Hill in the snow.

An area of low pressure was moving in from the south. As the slightly warmer southerly air bumped into the cold easterly flow during Monday afternoon, heavy snowfall again blasted the south-eastern corner of the UK, giving several more centimetres. Some places along southern and eastern coasts were lucky to escape the worst of the weather as the influence of the warmer waters around the coast turned the snow to sleet and rain.

However, snow was only half of the story. As the area of low pressure moved away during Monday evening and the cloud cleared, the most treacherous conditions were still to come. Under clear skies temperatures plummeted to -8 Celsius (18 Fahrenheit) giving thick ice on roads and pavements throughout the region.

The blanket of snow completely transformed the landscape into a winter wonderland and made for a photographer's dream.

Walking the dog. Photo by Karol Steele.

However, the snow and ice also caused severe disruption to transport networks throughout the regions. Trains and buses were cancelled, roads came to a halt and flights were grounded. London commuters were forced to take a day off work as the capital came to a standstill and thousands of school children across south-east took the day off school, as schools were forced to close their gates.

The recent snowy spell has followed an exceptionally cold start to the winter in the south-east. It has been the coldest winter so far for over a decade, since 1996-1997, and has gone against the trend of recent years. The previous two winters have been much milder than average but will this year send the echoes of the term ‘global warming’ into hibernation for a while?

One thing’s for sure this snow event has given us a good reminder of just how varied and severe our weather in the UK can be.