WITH this year’s cold snap hitting Essex in December, some snowfall did arrive in the county, but nowhere near as much as what Colchester has faced in the past.
The city has seen some powerful snowstorms hitting in the past with some residents enjoying all the fun which comes with the harsh weather and others struggling.
Colchester was hit by a harsh winter in 1981 when seven to eight inches of snow fell on December 7.
It lay on the ground for more than three weeks until the new year.
More recently in 2009 and 2010, north Essex experienced the worst snow it had seen in 30 years.
Tthe snow was the worst the area had experienced since 1979 when almost 11 inches snow fell on February 13 and 14.
The 2010 cold snap started when temperatures began to dip on December 10.
Four inches of snow fell on December 17, and the sub-zero temperatures continued until the end of the month.
Snow fell again on New Year’s Day and six centimetres of snow fell in one on night on January 6.
Just under a decade later, Britain was hit with Anticyclone Hartmut.
More commonly referred to as the Beast from the East, the cold snap sunk its icy claws into the country on February 24, 2018 and refused to loosen its grip for roughly nine days.
During that time people from across Colchester and Tendring frequently found themselves caught-up in widespread traffic havoc.
At its worst, the Beast from the East saw sub-zero conditions generate four inches of snow and several towns and villages in the area were cut off.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel