In comparative terms this was the coldest (average 2.4C) since December 1995 (1.6C) although five have been colder in the past 50 years, notably 1981 (average minus 0.9C).

The latter was also notable for its snow cover which lasted from the 14th to the 29th following a total fall of over 40mms on the 14th and 15th; this year snow fell on nine days totalling 20cms, the depth reaching 15cms on the 24th, and the ground having a full snow cover from the 18th to the 26th.

There was also a contrast between the first part of the month (to the 16th) with average temperatures slightly above the norm at 4.6C and the second part of the month (from the 17th) with an average of minus 0.2C only.

Temperatures rose to 11.5C on the 5th but only reached minus 0.8C by day on the 18th, whereas there were 14 nights with sub-zero figures, three of which recorded minus 7.0C or slightly less (see graph) on the 19th, 20th and 22nd.

The warmest night was the 10th at 6.5C.

In terms of precipitation the total of 117.2mms represents about 74 per cent of the expected for the month.

This fell on 25 days (the mean is 22) and the wettest day was the 5th at 18.3mms. Humidity was generally high ranging from 80 per cent (on the 7th) to 96 per cent (on the 11th) with an average of 89.8 per cent (at 09.00hrs).

There were 12 days with partly cloudy conditions and an average cloud cover of 67.7 per cent, and the sunshine total (an estimated 56.5 hours) was a little above the expected.

There was persistent fog and mist on the 11th, mist again on the 24th and more fog on the 28th, but there were also nine days with above average visibility.

Wind speeds were generally light and dominated by south-west and westerly directions, although there was a spell of easterlies from the 12th to the 18th, with pressure on the 13th reaching 1036.5mbs, but with spells of low pressure early in the month (982.2mbs on the 6th) and again later on (979.0mbs on 22nd).

This gave an average of 1003.6mbs as against the normal December figure of 1010.3mbs.

Cold and snowy months are more frequently associated with January and February rather than December and sometimes last into March.

In the past 50 years there have been 13 colder Februaries, including minus 0.5C in 1986 and minus 0.6C in 1963, and 11 colder Januaries, with minus 0.5C (1979) and minus 1.0C (1963). Only twice have March temperatures averaged less than 2.5C (1962 and 1969).

We look forward to the coming months – whatever happens we shall doubtless ascribe it to global warming!