February opened with dry, cold and dull weather. No sunshine was recorded during the first five days of the month. As an easterly airflow became established, the 4th was miserable with heavy snow falling all day. The 5th saw rain which was noticeably heavier in the morning but which then stopped in the late afternoon. Fog was present that evening. There was more rain on the 6th but the weather improved for the next three days. The 8th and 9th were both dry and sunny but whilst the weather improved, it also turned colder.
Mild but unsettled weather returned on the 10th. The highest temperature of the month was recorded on the 11th. A secondary depression brought heavy rain on the 12th - there was no sunshine between the 10th and the 12th, but not far away was a very strong anticyclone which took hold on the 13th and firmly anchored itself over the UK. As a result, the weather became dry with light/calm winds and clear skies. Temperatures were average or above average and air pressure reached 1045MB on the 17th, the highest of the month. The night-time temperatures during this spell were generally frosty though.
The anticyclone started to decline slowly on the 21st as north-west winds set in, and temperatures began to fall by the 23rd, which itself was very sunny but also a snow shower fell at 5pm. There was further snow on the morning of the 25th, but it didn't settle. Night-frosts were recorded for the final few nights of the month. The 26th was wet and overcast after a brief sunny start as a depression moved slowly south-eastwards across the UK. Heavy snow fell all morning on the 27th. Further snow fell on the morning of the 28th but melted later.
Overall temperatures were around average. Daytime temperatures marginally exceeded the monthly average but night-time temperatures were below and frosts were recorded on 16 nights out of 28. Sunshine was well above the average and twice the expected amount was recorded, largely due to the dry spell between the 13th and the 23rd. Rainfall was also above average and it was the first wetter than average February since 1997, but it was the first 12 days of the month that were largely wet and unsettled, particularly around the 3rd to the 6th and the 10th to the 12th.
One thing that has been absent in 2001 so far is storms. February 2001 was another calm month.
Kevin Phillips - 7.50pm - Monday 5th March 2001.
