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Winter of 1962-63 -

The winter of 1962-63, which is often referred to as the Big Freeze of 1962-63, was one of the coldest winters ever recorded in the United Kingdom.

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Lowest recorded temperature -

With the lowest recorded temperature reaching −22.2°C (−8.0°F), only the winters of 1683-84 and 1739-40 were colder.

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How it started -

The cold snap started in early December 1962, as a wintry outbreak brought snow to large parts of the United Kingdom.

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Throughout December -

The freezing conditions continued throughout December. They brought particularly heavy snowfall on December 26 and 27, by which point the cold air had become firmly established.

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Into the new year -

The severe conditions then continued throughout the months of January and February, and the thaw did not set in until March 1963.

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Huge impact -

With heavy snowfall, blizzards, and frozen rivers and lakes, daily life in the United Kingdom became quite difficult, as people had to adapt to a different reality.

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The timeline -

Let's take a closer look at the timeline. As previously mentioned, the unusually cold conditions began in the middle of December 1962.

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End of December -

Overnight from December 29 to 30, a blizzard swept across England and Wales, and in some places, snow drifted to more than 20 feet (6.1 meters) deep.

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New Year's Eve -

The heavy snowfall stranded villages and brought down power lines. On December 31, Big Ben was 10 minutes late welcoming in the new year, due to the large amount of snow that had accumulated on its clock hands.

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January 1963 -

The freezing conditions continued into January 1963, which, with an average temperature of −2.1°C (28.2°F), remains the coldest month since January 1814 in Central England.

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Frozen waters -

The sea froze inshore in many places, as did sections of certain rivers. The upper reaches of the Thames, for example, froze over.

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Brief thaw - On January 25 there was a brief thaw, which might have signaled the end of the harsh weather conditions. However, it only lasted three days.

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February 1963 -

The snow continued to fall in February 1963, and this month was particularly stormy, with winds that reached Force 8 on the Beaufort Scale.

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36-hour blizzard -

In February, there was a 36-hour blizzard that caused heavy drifting snow across large parts of the United Kingdom, again with drifts that reached 20 feet (6.1 meters) in some areas.

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Beginning of the thaw -

The thaw finally began on March 6, 1963, which was the first morning of the year without frost. Temperatures rose gradually, and thankfully there was no widespread flooding.

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Impact on daily life -

As you can imagine, daily life in the United Kingdom became quite difficult during the Big Freeze. The country's infrastructure was simply not equipped to deal with weather conditions as harsh as these.

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Frozen water mains -

As water mains began to freeze, families had to brave the cold and venture out to collect water in buckets from road tankers.

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Icy windows -

It became considerably more difficult to keep warm inside the home, and people began to see ice on the insides of their windows.

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Power cuts - Power cuts became commonplace, as did breakages in telephone lines. In some villages, people were cut off from civilization for days.

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Snow on roads -

With snowfall blocking roads, it became impossible for the authorities to collect waste. Eventually, rubbish started to build up in the streets.

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Rise in food prices -

Food prices began to rise, as the blocked roads and railways meant it became much more difficult to transport goods around the country.

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Milk shortages -

Many families started to go without their milk deliveries, as it became increasingly difficult to deliver the milk without it freezing en route.

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Milk shortages -

Eventually, the milk deliveries stopped altogether, as it was deemed too dangerous for the milkmen to venture out in the snowy conditions.

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Impact on farmers -

Farmers also suffered greatly from being unable to move around. In some cases, they were unable to reach their livestock before they starved to death.

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Silver lining -

Despite the fact that life became very difficult during this period, some people were able to make the most of the unusual weather conditions.

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Skating -

Indeed, many people enjoyed skating on the frozen rivers, and London's River Thames hosted its first-ever car rally on ice.

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Impact on football -

However, other sports did not fare so well during this period. Football matches in the English and Scottish leagues suffered in particular.

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Matches postponed -

Some matches in the FA Cup were re-scheduled as many as 10 times, and when the thaw finally came, there was a huge backlog of matches to be played.

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Impact on horse racing -

National Hunt horse racing was also affected, with a total of 94 meetings being canceled between December 1962 and January 1963. 

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Final thoughts -

The winter of 1962-63 is famous in the United Kingdom, so much so that it has formed the setting for various movies and episodes of television series.

Sources: (Silversurfers) (Weather & Radar)

See also: Surprising facts about snow

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