Diary of Highlights

1st - 7th
It was a dry start to the month as high pressure remained dominant across England and Wales. It was cold as well with freezing fog patches in many places and snow grains reported from southern England and East Anglia. Leek in Staffordshire remained below freezing all day on the 1st, recording a 24 hour maximum of -2.3°C.

7th - 9th
On the 7th the transient ridge gave-way allowing rain in the far west to sweep eastwards across most parts. This was preceded by sleet and snow over high ground in the north. The rain was heavy in the west, with Milford Haven (Pembrokeshire) recording 27 mm in the 24 hours ending 6 PM on the 7th.

Further belts of rain pushed northeast on the 8th and 9th with heavy, frequent and locally thundery showers following. Wales and the west bore the brunt of the rain and showers with Sennybridge (Powys) recording 22.7 mm in the 24 hours ending 6 PM on the 8th while Capel Curig (Gwynedd) recorded 34.8 mm in the 24 hours ending 9 AM on the 10th. Despite the rain this was a much milder spell with Torquay (Devon) reaching 13.7 °C on the 7th, Credenhill (Herefordshire) 14.1 °C on the 8th and Herne Bay (Kent) 12.6 °C on the 9th.

10th - 14th
Further weather fronts pushed in from west during this period but a build of pressure to the east of the UK slowed their eastwards progress with some of the fronts stalling across Wales and more western parts. As a result Milford Haven (Pembrokeshire) recorded 25.2 mm (09-21) on the 13th and Walney Island (Cumbria) recorded 23.4 mm in the 24 hours ending 6 PM on the 14th. The undercut of cold air initiated by the build of pressure allowed some of the rain associated with the fronts to turn to snow, particularly across Wales, Cumbria and the Pennines.

There were also reports of freezing rain across parts of northern England on the morning of the 14th. Thanks to the influx of cold air from the east Fylingdales (North Yorkshire) only reach 1 °C on the 14th while in the extreme west it was much milder with Trawscoed (Ceredigion) recording 12.3 °C on the same day.

15th - 18th
The area of high pressure, initially centred across Scandinavia, migrated westward towards Iceland during this period. As a result a cold east to northeasterly flow dominated the weather, strong at times across southern parts. The flow brought wintry showers to northern England on the 15th while other parts enjoyed dry and fairly sunny conditions.

By the 16th the cloudier skies had spread further south and west with the cloud thick enough, particularly in the east, to give wintry flurries and snow grains and these conditions persisted for the following few days. It was cold or very cold across most parts with Leek (Staffordshire) only reaching 1 °C on the 17th and Cottesmore (Rutland) only reaching 2.4 °C on the 18th. However, some sheltered southern and western parts had temperatures closer to normal.

19th - 22nd
The easterly flow continued to affect more southern parts during this spell but elsewhere the weather was under the influence of a north to northeasterly. Showers affected areas exposed to the wind but the change of wind direction allowed sunnier skies to develop particularly in the west. Anglesey recorded 11 hours of sunshine on the 19th with Manchester seeing around 10 hours on the 22nd. It was still rather cold, particularly in the east, although locally the sunshine boosted temperatures to near normal.

23th - 31st
The 23rd started cold and frosty with a low of minus 5 °C in Bedford and there was plenty of sunshine through the day (10.6 hours Coltishall). However a southerly flow developed through the day and rain reached the West Country later in the day. This was the first indications of a transition to milder conditions and that transition continued over the next few days as the flow became predominantly a fresh to strong south-westerly. Bands of rain swept across from the west on that wind interspersed with showers and these conditions prevailed through to the end of the month. In fact Pembrey Sands (Carmarthenshire) recorded a gust of 66 M.P.H. on the 27th.

Western parts again bore the brunt of the rain with Capel Curig (Gwynedd) the wettest on three consecutive days, logging 44 mm in the 24 hours ending 6 PM on the 26th, with 39.4 mm and 59.6 mm in the following two 24 hour periods. Capel Curing had a further 36.2 mm in the 24 hours to 6 PM on the 30th. Despite the belts of rain and showers it was generally warm through this period and locally very warm, notably in the east. Holbeach (Lincolnshire) reach 16.9 °C on the 25th, Scampton (Lincolnshire) reached 17.7 °C on the 26th, and Conningsby (Lincolnshire) hit 17.2°C on the 30th. Southern and western fringes remained cooler with temperatures tempered by the wind off the sea.