Diary of Highlights

1st to 2nd
The 1st brought generally cloudy skies and outbreaks of rain to many areas, with local fog patches for the east coast and the central belt. South-easterly winds were close to gale force in the Northern Isles. The 2nd was rather cloudy and windy with occasional rain or showers, mainly in the east, these turning to snow over the hills. A bitterly cold day on the 3rd with fresh or strong south-east winds. Sleet and snow showers in the east (some significant falls in places), extended to many areas during the evening.

4rd to 5th
Snow, with rain on coasts, cleared during the morning of the 4th across much of the country, with further rain, preceded by snow on higher ground, spreading north-east during the afternoon and evening. A windy period with severe gales in Shetland, with gusts peaking at 81 m.p.h. early on the 5th, before easing. Elsewhere on the 5th, frequent and prolonged showers affected the west, with a few reaching eastern parts.

6th to 7th
The 6th saw scattered showers (with hill snow) across the west, but mainly dry with sunshine in the east, before outbreaks of rain and hill snow spread east across the south during the evening. Rain, sleet and hill snow continued across the south into the early hours of the 7th and spread along the east coasts, where rain fell onto frozen surfaces for a time, before clearing around mid-morning. Brighter conditions with occasional heavy showers affected the north-west, then spread to most places throughout the morning, although some eastern parts stayed dry with a frost returning in the evening.

8th to 9th
Fine at first on the 8th, but cloud, rain, sleet and snow spread in from the west through the afternoon and evening. Winds increased during the day, with a gust of 84 m.p.h. at Machrihanish (Argyll and Bute) at midnight. The 9th was a fairly stormy day with winds gusting to 70 to 80 m.p.h. in many places, although easing later, as a front brought a mixture of rain sleet or snow to most parts during the day.

10th to 11th
The 10th started clear and frosty in the north but locally heavy rain in the south pushed north through the day, falling as snow over the hills, and for a time on low ground in parts of Stirlingshire and Perthshire. The 11th was mainly dry with some sunshine though a few showers affected the north and west, while fog patches developed in parts of the south.

12th to 13th
Overnight showers in the south-west left some icy conditions on the 12th, with temperatures falling to -11.3 °C at Braemar (Aberdeenshire). Otherwise the 12th was mainly dry with sunny spells and patchy fog, but cloud increased bringing rain to the south-west, this turning to snow as it spread into Argyll in the evening. Rain, occasionally heavy, reached all parts by the morning of the 13th with Tyndrum (Highlands) recording 43 mm of rainfall.

14th to 15th
The 14th saw further bands of rain moving north across Scotland with some drier, brighter weather in-between. The 15th was generally rather cloudy with outbreaks of rain or showers, turning increasingly wintry over the hills, although a more persistent band of rain arrived in the southwest later.

16th to 18th
The rain in the south-west cleared away on the morning of the 16th, to leave southern and western parts dry with sunny spells, with wintry showers affecting northern and eastern areas. The showers gradually died out through the evening with a widespread frost developing. Overnight rain, with some snow over higher ground, cleared to showers on both the 17th and 18th. The 18th saw gales or severe gales developing, gusting to 69 m.p.h. at Rosehearty (Aberdeenshire).

19th to 20th
Much of the 19th was dry with some sunshine, although the far north and north-west saw showers and outbreaks of rain reached the south-west in the evening. Southern Scotland was cloudy on the 20th with patchy light rain. Showers affected the north-west but it was dry with sunny spells in the north-east.

21st to 22nd
The 21st was mainly dry and bright in the north. Rain affected the Central Lowlands southwards, with significant snowfall on higher ground of southern Scotland. A widespread frost overnight on the 22nd lifted as cloud increased from the west. Patchy light rain through the morning became more persistent during the afternoon, with milder conditions gradually spreading north-east.

23rd to 24th
A mild day on the 23rd, with temperatures reaching 13.5 °C at Aboyne (Aberdeenshire), but generally a rather cloudy day with outbreaks of rain, heaviest and most persistent across western parts, with some sunny spells in the east. Clear, colder but showery conditions edging south-east through the evening, with strong to gale force south-westerly winds, gusts to 65 m.p.h. at South Uist (Outer Hebrides). A much colder day on the 24th with sunshine and wintry showers, these heaviest in Argyll and Highland, with 6 cm of snow at Aviemore. Severe gales developed during the evening, with heavy rain in the north and west.

25th to 26th
A very wet day on the 25th with several stations in the West Highlands recording more than 75 mm, although very little reached some sheltered north-eastern areas (including Aberdeen). Gales were severe for a time with gusts to 86 m.p.h. at Sella Ness in Shetland. W intry showers in the north eased for a time on the 26th, then more rain spread from the south, preceded by hill snow. The rain being particularly heavy across the West Highlands, where over 63 mm fell at Kinlochewe (Highlands). Windy with gales which were locally severe in Shetland and the central belt.

27th to 29th
Cloudy and mild, with rain and drizzle across the Highlands on the 27th, but some sunny spells in the east. Mainly dry and rather cloudy on the 28th, but heavier rain reached the north and west during the evening. The 29th saw a band of rain straddle much of central and southern Scotland, with showers further north. The rain moved away to the south in the afternoon, but the showers merged into longer spells of rain across the north for a time (some snow on the hills).

30th to 31st
Scattered showers and sunny, clear spells on the 30th, the showers most frequent in the north and west and merging at times to give longer spells of rain, especially during the evening. Severe south-westerly gales with gusts 70 m.p.h. at South Uist affected the north-west during the evening. Heavy rain cleared south-eastwards around dawn on the 31st, to leave wintry showers and sunny spells, the showers most frequent in the north-west. The showers merged later in the day to give western parts a longer spell of rain. Very windy with widespread gales or severe gale force winds, with Machrihanish recording a gust of 83 m.p.h.