The Severe Winter of 1939–40

Abstract

THE frost which began on December 27, 1939, and continued with few intermissions until about February 18, 1940, was the most severe in Great Britain since 1895. December 1939 was cold on the whole, the average temperature of 37·8° F. at Kew being nearly 4° F. below the normal; but apart from a short spell of frost about December 22 it did not approach in severity the latter part of the winter. At the end of the month the minimum at Kew fell to 19° F., but comparatively mild conditions returned during the first week in January. The main period of frost came between January 10 and 24, when the mean temperature at Kew was continuously below freezing except for January 12 and fell to 22° F. on January 20. Some very low minima were recorded in all parts of England and Scotland: – 5° F. in the screen at Dalwhinnie, – 6° F. at Bodiam in south-east England and Ambleside in the north-west, and – 10° F. at Rhayader, all between January 17 and 21. At Greenwich the lowest minimum was 12° F., identical with the lowest minimum there in February 1929 and 5° higher than in February 1895. After a short break the month ended with another cold spell, and the mean temperature at Kew was as low as 31·3°F., compared with a normal of 40·5°. February began cold, but severe weather, was not encountered until February 10, when another week of frost began, with very low temperatures about February 14.