Weather in South London during February 2009
The month of February was neatly split into two halves. The first fortnight of the month was cold and wet with significant snowfall; the last two weeks were mild and dry. Statistically, the first two weeks were dominant with the month ending up rather cold and rather wet.
Temperatures
Temperatures during February 2009 in Morden were below the 20-year average. However, it was only the coldest February since 2006. The average maximum temperature was 7.9 Celsius (46F), and that was 1.2 degrees Celsius (2F) below normal. The average minimum temperature was 2.1 Celsius (36F), and that was 1.1 Celsius (2F) below normal.
The highest temperature recorded in February was 15.4 Celsius (60F) on the 27th, and there were 9 other days when maxima exceeded 10 Celsius (50F). All of these mild days occurred during the second half of the month. The lowest maximum temperature during the second part of February was 9.2 Celsius (49F) on the 15th. However, the highest temperature during the first 2 weeks was only 7.5 Celsius (45F) on the 11th. During the first week, maxima failed to rise above 5 Celsius (41F), and on the 2nd the high was only 0.6 Celsius (33F).
There were only 10 nights when the overnight minima stayed above 5 Celsius. All of these nights were during the second half of the month and included the 7 consecutive nights beginning on the 16th/17th. The mildest night of the month was the 24th/25th with a minimum of 8.1 Celsius (47F). All the cold nights occurred during the first half of February, and on 7 nights the temperature fell below minus 2 Celsius (28F). Only 2 nights had minima below minus 3 Celsius (27F), the 13th/14th, and the 2nd/3rd when the low was minus 5.4 Celsius (22F).
Frost
There were 9 air frosts during February, and that's 2 more than average. All air frosts occurred during the first half of the month. There were 12 grass frosts, 1 less than average. Grass temperatures fell below freezing on 11 out of the first 15 nights but only once thereafter, the night of the 20th/21st. On 6 nights, the ground temperature fell below minus 5 Celsius (23F). including minus 11.3 Celsius (12F) on the night of the 2nd/3rd. The following night, although the second coldest of the month, was 4.5 Celsius less cold.
Rain
A total of 59.8 millimetres (2.35ins) of rain fell during February, and this was nearly 30% above the long-term average. Measurable rain fell on 12 days, 2 below average, but the 10 wet days (1.0mm/0.04 ins, or more) was 1 day above average. The first fortnight of February was wet with over 57 millimetres (2.26 inches) of rain falling. This included 22.0 millimetres (0.83 inches) on the 9th, probably the wettest February day in the area for at least 50 years. The second half of February was dry with only 2.4 millimetres ((0.1 inches) falling, and from the 20th until the end of the month there was no measurable rain.
Thunderstorms
No thunderstorms were reported.
Hail
Soft hail (snow pellets) fell in showers around mid morning on the 3rd, and the fairly rare phenomenon of ice pellets was observed late on the evening of the 4th.
Snow
Sleet or snow fell on 9 out of the first 12 days of February, but with no wintry precipitation thereafter. This amounted to the snowiest February spell for 5 years. Snow lay on the ground for 5 days, the most in February for 13 years.. There was a major snowfall event late on the 1st and early on the 2nd, and the 19 centimetres (7.6 inches) of snow that was measured at 0900 hours on the 2nd wa the deepest snow in this area since the heavy snow that fell in late December 1962. By the following morning the snow had settled down to 15 centimetres and by th 7th only patches remained.
Wind
Winds were unusually light for February. The direction was mainly between southwest and northwest, but cyclonic variable at times early in the month. Gusts only exceeded 20 knots (23mph) on 2 days, the 1st, and also the the 10th when 30 knots (34mph) was recorded.mainly light or gentle east to northeast during the cold spell early in the month, although a moderate
Fog
There was no fog, although technically the heavy snow late on the 1st and early on the 2nd reduced the visibility to within fog limits.
Temperatures during February 2009 in Morden were below the 20-year average. However, it was only the coldest February since 2006. The average maximum temperature was 7.9 Celsius (46F), and that was 1.2 degrees Celsius (2F) below normal. The average minimum temperature was 2.1 Celsius (36F), and that was 1.1 Celsius (2F) below normal.
The highest temperature recorded in February was 15.4 Celsius (60F) on the 27th, and there were 9 other days when maxima exceeded 10 Celsius (50F). All of these mild days occurred during the second half of the month. The lowest maximum temperature during the second part of February was 9.2 Celsius (49F) on the 15th. However, the highest temperature during the first 2 weeks was only 7.5 Celsius (45F) on the 11th. During the first week, maxima failed to rise above 5 Celsius (41F), and on the 2nd the high was only 0.6 Celsius (33F).
There were only 10 nights when the overnight minima stayed above 5 Celsius. All of these nights were during the second half of the month and included the 7 consecutive nights beginning on the 16th/17th. The mildest night of the month was the 24th/25th with a minimum of 8.1 Celsius (47F). All the cold nights occurred during the first half of February, and on 7 nights the temperature fell below minus 2 Celsius (28F). Only 2 nights had minima below minus 3 Celsius (27F), the 13th/14th, and the 2nd/3rd when the low was minus 5.4 Celsius (22F).
Frost
There were 9 air frosts during February, and that's 2 more than average. All air frosts occurred during the first half of the month. There were 12 grass frosts, 1 less than average. Grass temperatures fell below freezing on 11 out of the first 15 nights but only once thereafter, the night of the 20th/21st. On 6 nights, the ground temperature fell below minus 5 Celsius (23F). including minus 11.3 Celsius (12F) on the night of the 2nd/3rd. The following night, although the second coldest of the month, was 4.5 Celsius less cold.
Rain
A total of 59.8 millimetres (2.35ins) of rain fell during February, and this was nearly 30% above the long-term average. Measurable rain fell on 12 days, 2 below average, but the 10 wet days (1.0mm/0.04 ins, or more) was 1 day above average. The first fortnight of February was wet with over 57 millimetres (2.26 inches) of rain falling. This included 22.0 millimetres (0.83 inches) on the 9th, probably the wettest February day in the area for at least 50 years. The second half of February was dry with only 2.4 millimetres ((0.1 inches) falling, and from the 20th until the end of the month there was no measurable rain.
Thunderstorms
No thunderstorms were reported.
Hail
Soft hail (snow pellets) fell in showers around mid morning on the 3rd, and the fairly rare phenomenon of ice pellets was observed late on the evening of the 4th.
Snow
Sleet or snow fell on 9 out of the first 12 days of February, but with no wintry precipitation thereafter. This amounted to the snowiest February spell for 5 years. Snow lay on the ground for 5 days, the most in February for 13 years.. There was a major snowfall event late on the 1st and early on the 2nd, and the 19 centimetres (7.6 inches) of snow that was measured at 0900 hours on the 2nd wa the deepest snow in this area since the heavy snow that fell in late December 1962. By the following morning the snow had settled down to 15 centimetres and by th 7th only patches remained.
Wind
Winds were unusually light for February. The direction was mainly between southwest and northwest, but cyclonic variable at times early in the month. Gusts only exceeded 20 knots (23mph) on 2 days, the 1st, and also the the 10th when 30 knots (34mph) was recorded.mainly light or gentle east to northeast during the cold spell early in the month, although a moderate
Fog
There was no fog, although technically the heavy snow late on the 1st and early on the 2nd reduced the visibility to within fog limits.