January 1982 January 1982 had a CET of 2.6 but it will be remembered for the snowstorm and record low temperatures. The month began mild with SWly winds, a continuation of the thaw that had begun at the end of December 1981. Maxima were in double figures and there was heavy rain which caused flooding. On the 4th, high pressure was intensifying over Greenland and Scandinavia and this gradually began to push southwards so by the 6th, the UK was under a ridge of very cold air from Greenland. A small polar low moved across the far north of Scotland bringing these areas, heavy snow showers. The maximum temperature at Tummel Bridge was -13C and Braemar recorded a minimum of -23C. On the 8th, the minimum was -26.8C at Grantown-on-Spey. The pressure gradient was increasing in the south as a front moved up from the south to displace the cold air sitting over the UK. The winds strengthened and snow began to fall which drifted in the wind. The next 36-48 hours brought chaos to the south with continous snowfall and strong easterly winds bringing drifting and disrupting transport. A small low in the SW provided extra moisture for the system. In the east, level snow depths reached about 15cm but further west, snow depths were greater. The Cotswolds, south Wales and Herefordshire recorded level snow depths of 30-40cm, Newport in Gwent:- 60cm, Carmarthen:- 60cm and Swansea:- 40cm. Drifts were well in excess of 7m in places. By the 10th, the high over Greenland moved across the UK. The subsequent clear skies and deep snow cover allowed intense cooling producing record low minima and very low daytime maxima. Newport in shropshire recorded a minima of -26.1C on the 10th, the lowest ever minimum in England, a maxima of -10C was recorded at Benson, Oxon and -9C at Shawbury on the 13th. In Scotland, it was equally as cold with Braemar equalling the lowest ever recorded minima for the UK with -27.2C on the 10th. By the 14th, the high had slipped into Europe allowing mild air to come up from the Mediterrenean. Initially, this slid over the very cold air creating an inversion but by the 15th, the milder air had reached sea level and there was a thaw. The thaw was gentle and there was no serious flooding. The rest of the month was generally mild but there was brief northerly plunge around the 26th and 27th.