February Weather Report.

Despite the obvious lack of sun, February proved a mild
month, with an average temperature over 7C. This was the mildest for many years, with the cloud cover ensuring that the nights stayed fairly frost free. Although, that said, the 1st. produced a minimum temperature of
-5.4C; the legacy of the cold spell that concluded January. The month
was also milder than last November, and its highest temperature, 14.6C
on the 24th. was the warmest February day since 2008. After the cold
start to winter, all this  kick started the spring bulbs into action and,
not surprisingly, crocuses and daffodils joined forces with the
snowdrops to give some welcome colour to the gardens. Personally, I am
quite glad to see that March has turned cold, as this will keep the
shrubs back from coming into leaf and then getting spoilt by later
frosts as was the case in 2008.

Rainfall recorded on 19 days, totalled  80.9mm which I imagine is above average, and was the highest February total since the soaking in February 2007 (181.1mm). The number of ‘wet’  days did have the effect though of making February live up to the old saying  ‘February fill dyke’, with large numbers of big puddles in the lanes.

Winter overall was undoubtedly colder than average, with
an average day maximum of 8C and a minimum of 0.25C.  It proved to be
about 3/4 degree less cold than last year, but 0.3C colder than
2008-2009. The number of air frosts in the three winters 2008-11 were
very similar at 43, 45, 42. Rainfall days were 42,50,42, but this year’s
total figure of 198.2mm was much lower than the equivalent figures from
the previous two winters.

Peter, Pottlelake

Photo courtesy of David Vickers