Winter of 1963
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The winter of 1963 (also known as The Big Freeze of 1963) was one of the coldest winters ever recorded in Great Britain. Temperatures plummeted and lakes and rivers began to freeze over.
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[edit] 29th-30th December 1962
On the 29 to 30 December 1962, a blizzard roared across the southwest of England and Wales. Snow fell over six metres deep, which caused road blockages. Railway lines were also cut off. The snow left villagers stranded as powerlines linked to the villages were brought down. The near freezing temperatures kept the snow deep for at least three months.
[edit] January 1963
In January 1963 the country started to freeze solid with temperatures at -16C (3.2F). Frozen fog was a hazard for most of the country.
January 1963 was also the time when the sea froze for a mile at Herne Bay due to very low temperatures. In London the river Thames also froze over, right across everywhere in London. The ice was so thick in some places that people could skate on it.
[edit] February 1963
In February 1963 more snow came. It was also windy and winds reached Force 8 on the Beaufort scale (gale force winds).
A 36 hour blizzard caused heavy, drifting snow in most parts of the country. The snow reached 20 feet in some areas. Gale force winds howled with wind speeds reaching up to 81 mph (130 km/h). In the Isle of Man wind speeds were recorded at 119 mph (191 km/h).
[edit] March-April 1963
The thaw set in on 6 March 1963. It was the first morning of the year without any frost. The temperatures soared to 17 degrees C (62.6 degrees F). The snow then started to melt and by April it was gone.
