February 2012.

(photo Helene Buse)
This month was a tale of two halves with a unity theme
with regard to rainfall.

The cold spell that started gently at the end of January
intensified in the first days of February to give a minimum reading of
-9.9C on the night of the 4th. Conditions eased for a day or two around
the 6th  with one frost-free night before further cold nights occurred,
particularly  on the 11th and 12th. Thereafter, things became much
milder, although another cold night under still conditions in a
northerly flow brought -5.7C on the morning of the 20th.  Highs during
daytime only once dropped below 10C from the 14th onward, and two days,
23rd and 29th reached 15.3C, nearly 60F in ‘old money’. This was the
highest value recorded in February since the 12th in 2008. Overall, the
month averaged over two degrees colder than last year’s very mild figure
which was above 7C, and the total of fourteen air frosts was the highest
figure for many years.

The rainfall total of just 15.3mm falling on just six
‘rain days’ was probably about one quarter of what we would normally
expect.  This was the driest month since last April, but more
significantly, continues a sequence of below average monthly totals that
has continued without interruption since this time last year.  The
nearest approach to this February  total in recent years was in 2005,
with  18.9mm.

The three months which constitute ‘Winter’ proved the mildest for four years, with a mean temperature of just about 6C.  2007-8  came out at 6.3C. 32 Air Frosts occurred against 28 in the same previous winter. However, the total rainfall of 152.1mm with 48 Rain Days is far
lower than anything that I have recorded, certainly since 2003-4.

Peter at Pottlelake