The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Chill blasts from past offer cold comfort
The winter weather is returning to Tayside and Fife in the wake of one of the strangest festive seasons in living memory.
While the recent cold snap hasn’t been on the extreme side, we haven’t always been so lucky in the past. Throughout the years locals have endured several brutal winters which have tested the resilience of communities.
Here we look back on some of the most infamous frozen spells from Tayside and Fife in living memory.
1947: One of the UK’S most legendary winters
This was one of Britain’s most infamous winters, and Courier country did not escape it. Easterly winds brought snowstorm after snowstorm to the UK during one of the biggest white-outs since the 19th Century.
January 1947 brought snow and floods to Perthshire. Though skiers lapped up the conditions at Glenshee, farms and roads were reported to have flooded across the Tay Valley.
This spell of bad weather lasted until February, with a report in The Courier on February 6 stating that roads in Arbroath and Montrose had been “buried” in snow.
A “force” of 800 men kept Dundee streets clear.
In Perthshire there were reports of farmers and shepherds hauling provisions on horse-drawn sledges.
The Angus Glens were hit by “severe” conditions.
The worst of the weather hit Tayside in March. It was so bad for some in Glenshee that food supplies had to be airdropped to homes.
On March 13 the “worst traffic block of the winter” was reported in Tayside, with only three roads open.
Scotland was “cut off ” from England by road and rail.
Miners in Fife were unable to reach their work due to the conditions, leading to major production losses.
Villages across Courier country were isolated from the outside world.
On March 14 the longest bus journey out of Dundee was to Inchture, just nine miles away.
1962-63: The Big Freeze Britain’s famous Big Freeze affected locals across Tayside and Fife from December 1962 into February 1963.
The conditions brought widespread chaos to Scottish football fixtures, with 24 tons of sand delivered to Tannadice to prepare Dundee United for a New Year clash with Queen of the South.
Snow hit communities across the country well into January 1963.
On February 6, major roads including the A9 and A90 were blocked as traffic got stuck during blizzard conditions.
The Courier reported traffic being “paralysed” by the weather.
Conditions in Fife were described as “chaotic”.
People in parts of Scotland were stranded in trains, with children even left to stay overnight in schools.
On February 8 two helicopters from RA F Leuchars carried out seven rescue missions across Scotland.
During February two Stanley men also became the first people to walk across the frozen River Tay since 1898. Alec O’brien and brother- in- law Ian Smith managed the feat at Burnmouth.
They abandoned an attempt to repeat the crossing on bicycles a few days later.
1978-79: A spell of ‘pandemonium’, and a strange Tay rescue
Tayside endured a freezing spell from January into February 1979.
Just after Christmas, winds from the east spread throughout Scotland and brought Arctic conditions. There was a sustained cold spell between January 8 and February 22. Heavy snow came to Dundee and the surrounding area in early January.
Ice floes formed on the Tay near Dundee. On January 3 two teenagers were rescued by the Broughty Ferry inshore lifeboat near Kingoodie after getting stuck on a drifting slab of ice.
Lows of - 9 .4 C were recorded in Dundee on January 13.
Later that month blizzards hit Tayside with about 12 inches of snow in Perth on January 30.
Bad weather continued throughout February.
On March 22, police described scenes of “pandemonium” across Tayside and Fife following blizzards.
1987: Seven miles of traffic from Dundee as Tayside hit by blizzards
Heavy snowfall battered Tayside in January 1987, with blizzards affecting roads across Dundee and Angus.
Some locals fell victim to hypothermia in what was described as “appalling” weather conditions from early January.
Eight inches of snow fell in Dunfermline on January 12, and schools were closed across Fife, Dundee, Angus and Perthshire.
Blizzards in the Forfar and Kirriemuir areas were described as the worst in recent memory, bringing a foot of snow.
Seven miles of traffic was reported between Dundee and Monifieth on the same day.
On January 16 it was reported that Tayside Regional Council had spent £300,000 keeping roads clear in just six days.
2009-10: Big freeze brings Dundee’s coldest day in 50 years
Starting in midDecember 2009, the UK was hit by heavy snow and freezing temperatures.
The white- out lasted for weeks when Arctic conditions returned in early January, transforming Tayside and Fife into a winter wonderland.
Across Scotland schools were closed, traffic came to a standstill and power outages were a regular occurrence.
By January 7 the whole country was blanketed in snow.
Overnight temperatures from January 7- 8 fell to -22.3C at Altnaharra, the lowest in the UK since December 30 1995 when -27.2C was reached at the same location.
Cold and snowfall persisted until February.
Dundee experienced its coldest day in more than 50 years when a low of -9.4C was recorded on January 8.
2010-11: Thunder snow, a white Christmas and weather chaos
A phenomenon known as “thunder snow” battered Tayside on November 28, 2010. It brought storms and up to 10 inches of snow to Dundee and Perth.
The Arctic conditions led to chaos across the region, lasting through December into early January.
December 2010 – which brought a white Christmas – was the coldest in the UK since records began.
Schools were closed, roads were blocked by trapped cars and jackknifed lorries, and electricity was cut off to homes.
By November 30, residents across Tayside and Fife were being told to “stay home, stay safe and stay warm” as 3,600 properties were left without power.
NHS Tayside quickly moved to an emergency service, cancelling all non-urgent operations and outpatient clinics; forcing the health board to reschedule 8 ,000 appointments in total.
Many were left unable to travel to work due to snow and ice, with local authorities including Perth and Kinross Council even calling off bin collections as staff focused on clearing and gritting efforts.
2018: The Beast from the East
Just when dreams of spring were entering our thoughts, Mother Nature dealt a chilling reminder of her power.
In late February 2018 freezing Arctic conditions swept across the UK from Eastern Europe and Russia.
Tayside and Fife bore the brunt of the brutal weather, which endured until early March and earned the name the Beast from the East.
Arc tic blizzards and several feet of snow hit the area during the extreme weather event, which is said to have been caused by sudden stratospheric warming.
The Beast from the East combined with Storm Emma to cause widespread chaos, prompting a series of red Met Office weather warnings.
Sub-zero temperatures brought major travel disruption to Scotland, closed hundreds of schools and led to cancelled operations.
Treacherous roads were blocked by snow and ice, with some communities left cut off.
On the first day of March motorists had to camp out in their cars overnight after becoming stuck on the M80 Glasgow to Stirling road.
At one point, thunder snow even returned to the area.
To make matters worse, the resulting thaw caused flooding.
It wasn’t all bad though. Plenty people will have fond memories of sledging, snowball fights and snowboarding as Scotland turned into a winter wonderland in 2018.
Once again, community spirit was the winner and people went the extra mile for their neighbours.