My post on how cool 27th September 1993 was in another thread made me recall that this happened during a prolonged period of cool to cold weather, which was 25 years ago!

CETs 

July 1993: 15.2°C (-0.9)

August 1993: 14.6°C  (-1.2)

September 1993: 12.4°C (-1.2)

October 1993: 8.5°C  (-2.1)

November 1993: 4.6°C (-1.9)

It turned out to be the coldest autumn since 1952 for the CET and the coldest July-November period for the CET since 1919.

Unusually cold weather at times occurred during that period and seems to have started with that cold front of 9th July

9th July: dramatic mid summer temperature drop

23rd August: chilly late summer's day

Mid October: early start to winter season

22nd November: severe frosts in the SW

24th November: Mild in far SW, very cold in far NE

The cold period was broken in December for the CET area but further north, December was a cold month as well.

Question is what caused it and why did it last so long? 

Looking through my diary from that period, I noticed how often I mentioned "cool or cold". Over 50 times.  

I agree. Global temperatures were suppressed in both 1992 & 1993. Temperatures then recovered and no year globally since 1993 has been as cold.

It wasn't complete more than a couple of weeks when there was a further more serious snowfall in November of about a foot.

The RAC rally in those days went through North Yorkshire Forests and the stages round Scarborough resembled Scandinavia.

https://goo.gl/B6Y6TH 

October 1993 looks like a very interesting month. The wintry blast mid-month is event most people point out about it, but the first half also seen some classic autumn convection with quite frequent and widespread thunderstorms across the country. After the cold spell, everying then settled into a typical autumn anticyclonic spell with cold nights and coolish days.

It's also the last notably cold October we've had in this country (CET below 9C), so maybe another month like it is due sometime soon?

I really remember this period beginning with the cold front on 9th July. Lived in Surrey at the time. I think the temperature dropped to 10c by lunchtime, it was freezing. Went on holiday to Devon for the first week of August and one day was particularly cold and wet. I remember seeing the forecast at the end of September saying it had been the coldest September day for decades. October was frosty like the year before, then in November snow arrived on the morning of the 21st. Only a centimetre, but I couldn't remember seeing snow in November before and it was the first snow to settle since February 1991.

I remember a lot of that - Can't believe that is 25 years ago now.

That August was when I was told I was going to be made redundant from my council garden job (after 9 years working with them) but still had three month's "grace" period before I left in November and can recall how that latter half of the summer felt more like early Autumn.

I'm convinced that  had an impact on October 1992- putting it in the coldest 10%.

An amazing mid November spell- I was expecting my first child. I took a thermometer (as you do- honest, it's true) to pre-natal classes and was very impressed at the -5C we got; I'd feasted on late Nov 1989's -4 for so long and before that the 1983 -3.6C. 

The next day was freezing fog all day- I was on a course- and everything was white.

That night, snow grains covered the ground. 

That definately must have had something to do with it.