UPDATED: Snow in March? No, you're not seeing things - but look how bad it could have been

UPDATED: Snow and gale force winds to hit Dorset UPDATED: Snow and gale force winds to hit Dorset

SNOW has hit Dorset overnight with more expected throughout today accompanied by icy gale force winds. 

Transport and schools were unaffected, but drivers are warned to take care, especially on minor roads wherre gritters may not have been. Bournemouth pier has been closed due to ice.

Light snow is expected to continue until around 3pm but the main problem is likely to be ice overnight. 

A yellow weather warning is valid until 9am on Tuesday for Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset, with the Met Office advising that 2-5cm of snow may still fall over large areas of southern England causing disruption to travel.

Overnight temperatures of minus two degrees are predicted, which will feel like minus ten degrees until 6am on Tuesday morning.

Condor Ferries have cancelled their high speed sailings from Poole to the Channel Islands on Monday due to the adverse weather conditions.

Snow at Sturminster Marshall.

The Sandbanks Ferry is still running as normal.

Honey the labrador in the snow

The chief forecaster said the incoming weather, following on from a relatively mild week, is caused by a low pressure system from the Atlantic meeting cold air from the north.

He said: "There remains uncertainty about how far north the snow will spread, along with the extent of snow showers in the east."

But Dorset has been let off lightly so far compared with the storm that was orginally heading our way.

Channel Four weather forecaster Liam Dutton has blogged today about how much worse it COULD have been in a piece called "The snowstorm that missed Southern England by 100 miles." Until Saturday afternoon forecasters believed the south soast would be hit the hardest.

In the Channel Islands, which has borne the brunt of the storm, a red weather warning is in still place. Forecasters are saying it's the worst snow since 1979 and roads, airports and schools have all been closed. This picture, by Mark Stephenson, on Flickr, shows how heavy the snow has been.

Snow

Have a snow picture to send us? Email them to us at digital@bournemouthecho.co.uk, tweet them @Bournemouthecho or text them to 80360, starting your message with BE. Don't forget to tell us who you are and where the picture was taken!

Comments(69)

upyourpipe says...
12:46pm Sun 10 Mar 13

How many schools shut this time.

awsokend says...
1:26pm Sun 10 Mar 13

all of them
Its Sunday today

sea poole says...
1:30pm Sun 10 Mar 13

upyour pipe- Cynical? Think the following post was certainly 'upyourpipe!'

upyourpipe says...
1:56pm Sun 10 Mar 13

awsokend wrote:
all of them
Its Sunday today
How very jovial.

upyourpipe says...
1:57pm Sun 10 Mar 13

sea poole wrote:
upyour pipe- Cynical? Think the following post was certainly 'upyourpipe!'
Cynical no, nanny state yes.

Turtlebay says...
2:08pm Sun 10 Mar 13

"Gusts of 33mph are expected in Bournemouth from 9pm."

That's a very precise time, since they usually can't get any forecasts right.

What happens if the gusts start before or after 9PM?

sea poole says...
2:16pm Sun 10 Mar 13

upyourpipe -Didn't realise that the 'nanny state' was in force when schools closed on a regular basis pre WW2 due to snow, rain and village/community events...

upyourpipe says...
2:28pm Sun 10 Mar 13

sea poole wrote:
upyourpipe -Didn't realise that the 'nanny state' was in force when schools closed on a regular basis pre WW2 due to snow, rain and village/community events...
Funny, I was of school age during the big freeze of 1963 and our school didn't close once, but then we were made of stronger fiber back then, not like the nanny state wossies of today.
We fought our way through 4 foot snow drifts to schools with roaring coal fires, now a half inch of snow closes the whole country, what a sorry state for a once great country.

awsokend says...
2:39pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Will somebody please tell dull upyourpipe not to wear anything white if he goes up the pub to night

he might get knocked down by a snow plough

he needs to wear all black and be seen.

Oakdale12 says...
2:53pm Sun 10 Mar 13

BBC say "Rain will readily turn to snow and will fall across many southern areas overnight, giving some accumulations. Drier elsewhere but with isolated snow showers. Bitterly cold with frost and ice."

upyourpipe says...
2:54pm Sun 10 Mar 13

awsokend wrote:
Will somebody please tell dull upyourpipe not to wear anything white if he goes up the pub to night

he might get knocked down by a snow plough

he needs to wear all black and be seen.
Nothing more dull and boring than people who cant, wont or are not allowed to think or take control of their own lives without being told what to do.

sea poole says...
3:09pm Sun 10 Mar 13

upyourpipe -Guess you must have been made of stronger 'fiber' (or is it 'fibre?') Your school staying open really improved your spelling in 1963. It must have been amazing to see you fighting your way through 4 'foot' (or is it 'feet?') snow drifts armed with roaring coal fires...! By the way pre WW2 was prior to 1963 -guess that year also improved your knowledge of history...

upyourpipe says...
3:31pm Sun 10 Mar 13

sea poole wrote:
upyourpipe -Guess you must have been made of stronger 'fiber' (or is it 'fibre?') Your school staying open really improved your spelling in 1963. It must have been amazing to see you fighting your way through 4 'foot' (or is it 'feet?') snow drifts armed with roaring coal fires...! By the way pre WW2 was prior to 1963 -guess that year also improved your knowledge of history...
Throwing insults will not alter the way I lived in 1963, just shows that intelligence in some people has also got worse over the last 40 years.

SeafaringMan says...
4:04pm Sun 10 Mar 13

After all the miserable posts on this item I thought that it was time to introduce a nicer touch.
Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers - and their families.

Tictock says...
4:16pm Sun 10 Mar 13

SeafaringMan wrote:
After all the miserable posts on this item I thought that it was time to introduce a nicer touch.
Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers - and their families.
Bravo!!

cazzia says...
4:24pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Thankyou so much for bringing a bit of joy and happiness to all mums on Mothers Day, its sad to think that some people have nothing but negativity to spread round.life is too short for all that,get a life and be happy all you miserable posters.!!

fastwalker says...
4:26pm Sun 10 Mar 13

My school days were pre WW2, 1930 to 1939. I cant recall any closure due to weather although we did have a day off for the Silver Jubilee of George V. A bun fight at the local 'big house' a touch of the forelock and a Jubilee mug, since broken.
Not to forget Empire Day, a quick burst of "Land of Hope and Glory" at school assembly and then off out to terrorise the local population.

awsokend says...
4:28pm Sun 10 Mar 13

To all mothers who will be driving tonight don't switch your engine off if you get stuck in a jam
you might get snow up your pipe..

djd says...
4:35pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Like 'upyourpipe' I can remember the drifts of 1963.
We all went school or work. If the bus didn't come along, you walked.
If you didn't get to school you would have to have a good reason, and snow drifts weren't good enough.
Teachers got in somehow or other.
And we didn't have Health & Safety then.

oversixty says...
4:58pm Sun 10 Mar 13

djd wrote:
Like 'upyourpipe' I can remember the drifts of 1963.
We all went school or work. If the bus didn't come along, you walked.
If you didn't get to school you would have to have a good reason, and snow drifts weren't good enough.
Teachers got in somehow or other.
And we didn't have Health & Safety then.
You must have a poor memory then!
Recent TV programmes have highlighted the big freeze of 1963.Started on Boxing Day!
My wife can remember not going back to school until the end of February and that was in Kinson! Her school was across the road from where she lived!
Selective memories methinks!

upyourpipe says...
5:04pm Sun 10 Mar 13

oversixty wrote:
djd wrote:
Like 'upyourpipe' I can remember the drifts of 1963.
We all went school or work. If the bus didn't come along, you walked.
If you didn't get to school you would have to have a good reason, and snow drifts weren't good enough.
Teachers got in somehow or other.
And we didn't have Health & Safety then.
You must have a poor memory then!
Recent TV programmes have highlighted the big freeze of 1963.Started on Boxing Day!
My wife can remember not going back to school until the end of February and that was in Kinson! Her school was across the road from where she lived!
Selective memories methinks!
Yea well we lived in London at the time and never had a day off and our school like so many others in London never shut, guess we were made of sterner stuff in London than Kinson.

Holes Bay Curve says...
5:05pm Sun 10 Mar 13

'Yellow' snow warnings give me the willies !

Hessenford says...
5:12pm Sun 10 Mar 13

oversixty wrote:
djd wrote:
Like 'upyourpipe' I can remember the drifts of 1963.
We all went school or work. If the bus didn't come along, you walked.
If you didn't get to school you would have to have a good reason, and snow drifts weren't good enough.
Teachers got in somehow or other.
And we didn't have Health & Safety then.
You must have a poor memory then!
Recent TV programmes have highlighted the big freeze of 1963.Started on Boxing Day!
My wife can remember not going back to school until the end of February and that was in Kinson! Her school was across the road from where she lived!
Selective memories methinks!
I also watched this recent tv programme as I was at school during this really cold weather.
It did show school children battling their way through some horrendous snowdrifts to get to school, something that wouldn't happen today.
Many of my work mates also remember the big freeze and also commented that they also went to school through the whole six weeks so if you cant remember this happening I would say that the selective memory lays solely with yourself.

Ebb Tide says...
5:13pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Holes Bay Curve wrote:
'Yellow' snow warnings give me the willies !
You've read the writing ? !!

mysticalshoelace says...
5:30pm Sun 10 Mar 13

upyourpipe wrote:
sea poole wrote:
upyourpipe -Didn't realise that the 'nanny state' was in force when schools closed on a regular basis pre WW2 due to snow, rain and village/community events...
Funny, I was of school age during the big freeze of 1963 and our school didn't close once, but then we were made of stronger fiber back then, not like the nanny state wossies of today.
We fought our way through 4 foot snow drifts to schools with roaring coal fires, now a half inch of snow closes the whole country, what a sorry state for a once great country.
School! You were lucky to have a school! We used to get taught in one room, all a hundred and twenty-six of us, no furniture, 'alf the floor was missing, and we were all 'uddled together in one corner for fear of falling.

Ebb Tide says...
5:39pm Sun 10 Mar 13

mysticalshoelace wrote:
upyourpipe wrote:
sea poole wrote:
upyourpipe -Didn't realise that the 'nanny state' was in force when schools closed on a regular basis pre WW2 due to snow, rain and village/community events...
Funny, I was of school age during the big freeze of 1963 and our school didn't close once, but then we were made of stronger fiber back then, not like the nanny state wossies of today.
We fought our way through 4 foot snow drifts to schools with roaring coal fires, now a half inch of snow closes the whole country, what a sorry state for a once great country.
School! You were lucky to have a school! We used to get taught in one room, all a hundred and twenty-six of us, no furniture, 'alf the floor was missing, and we were all 'uddled together in one corner for fear of falling.
Ah. Luxury !!

electric7 says...
5:53pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Nothing wrong with letting children have a day off to enjoy the snow. Doesn't happen often and doesn't hang around for long either. But do appreciate it can cause childcare issues if parents have to work.

agp1337 says...
6:09pm Sun 10 Mar 13

So many amusing comments, feel quite sorry for upyourpipe. You normally describe snowdrifts in foot, not feet depending on context. 'Six foot snowdrifts' is fine, though I do agree about fibre. I also remember coal fires at a school I visited in 1964. Of course there wasn't Health and Safety then.

oversixty says...
6:13pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Hessenford wrote:
oversixty wrote:
djd wrote:
Like 'upyourpipe' I can remember the drifts of 1963.
We all went school or work. If the bus didn't come along, you walked.
If you didn't get to school you would have to have a good reason, and snow drifts weren't good enough.
Teachers got in somehow or other.
And we didn't have Health & Safety then.
You must have a poor memory then!
Recent TV programmes have highlighted the big freeze of 1963.Started on Boxing Day!
My wife can remember not going back to school until the end of February and that was in Kinson! Her school was across the road from where she lived!
Selective memories methinks!
I also watched this recent tv programme as I was at school during this really cold weather.
It did show school children battling their way through some horrendous snowdrifts to get to school, something that wouldn't happen today.
Many of my work mates also remember the big freeze and also commented that they also went to school through the whole six weeks so if you cant remember this happening I would say that the selective memory lays solely with yourself.
Sorry but in my wife's case the school closed due to lack of fuel which was in short supply!

Hessenford says...
6:27pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Out of curiosity I have been trying to find out the actual numbers to compare school closures in 1963 compared to this year.
I have found a couple of references to this which were as follows, in 1963 approx 900 schools were shut across the U.K during the period from December 26th till March 23rd. Blizzards caused snowdrifts up to six metres deep, telephone lines were brought down and temperatures fell so low the sea froze over.
2013 over 10,000 schools were shut by snow only a couple of inches deep and lasting a couple of days, I would say that we have become a nation of health and safety fanatics instead of the bulldog breed we were once known for.

spooki says...
6:42pm Sun 10 Mar 13

We had lessons in classrooms with no heating so we all had to wear coats. And that was in 1991.

sea poole says...
6:54pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Ah, how the nostalgia brings tears to eyes, thinking of the good old days...when schools never shut (not even on Sundays or Christmas Day), people battled through 50 ft snowdrifts and mother was still mangling the washing whilst digging coal out of the frozen ground...yes, the good old days...

MikeGB says...
7:12pm Sun 10 Mar 13

For once the Echo is simply quoting a Met Office warning. That means, for those babies wanting to be cynical and bore the rest of us with their miserable little unwise-cracks, that people may want to make plans in case severe weather materialises. It might be worth covering the windscreen, making sure you have the right clothing, even making sure your mobile phone is charged in case you are delayed. It also means those who work outside in the early hours can prepare. If it comes to nothing, no matter, but who would be the first to criticise if no warning was issued and it actually did snow? I think we all know.

a.g.o.g. says...
8:17pm Sun 10 Mar 13

MikeGB wrote:
For once the Echo is simply quoting a Met Office warning. That means, for those babies wanting to be cynical and bore the rest of us with their miserable little unwise-cracks, that people may want to make plans in case severe weather materialises. It might be worth covering the windscreen, making sure you have the right clothing, even making sure your mobile phone is charged in case you are delayed. It also means those who work outside in the early hours can prepare. If it comes to nothing, no matter, but who would be the first to criticise if no warning was issued and it actually did snow? I think we all know.
Sure, but most of the other Weather Reporting Agencies were warning of the return of cold and snow tomorrow near a week ago!

Hessenford says...
9:04pm Sun 10 Mar 13

sea poole wrote:
Ah, how the nostalgia brings tears to eyes, thinking of the good old days...when schools never shut (not even on Sundays or Christmas Day), people battled through 50 ft snowdrifts and mother was still mangling the washing whilst digging coal out of the frozen ground...yes, the good old days...
Or....no health and safety, no human rights act, no council tax, cheap fuel, no junk mail, no high vis jackets, no European dictatorship, no double yellow lines, no speed cameras, the list is endless, ah yes the good old days.

Nicolajade says...
9:19pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Is it snowing yet?

O'Reilly says...
9:19pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Hessenford wrote:
sea poole wrote:
Ah, how the nostalgia brings tears to eyes, thinking of the good old days...when schools never shut (not even on Sundays or Christmas Day), people battled through 50 ft snowdrifts and mother was still mangling the washing whilst digging coal out of the frozen ground...yes, the good old days...
Or....no health and safety, no human rights act, no council tax, cheap fuel, no junk mail, no high vis jackets, no European dictatorship, no double yellow lines, no speed cameras, the list is endless, ah yes the good old days.
And definitely not a high-viz vest in sight.............Bl
iss!

mysticalshoelace says...
10:50pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Nicolajade wrote:
Is it snowing yet?
Sort of, it's been like a very light drizzle of snow for the last couple of hours.

chris100 says...
11:06pm Sun 10 Mar 13

that will be another crash on the spur road then

tricky1007 says...
6:48am Mon 11 Mar 13

so i wake up to so drops of snow this morning not even close to covering the road!! Spot on as always!!!

fletch for manager says...
9:24am Mon 11 Mar 13

Pathetic looks like someone's chucked icing sugar over the car!

scrumpyjack says...
9:28am Mon 11 Mar 13

sea poole wrote:
Ah, how the nostalgia brings tears to eyes, thinking of the good old days...when schools never shut (not even on Sundays or Christmas Day), people battled through 50 ft snowdrifts and mother was still mangling the washing whilst digging coal out of the frozen ground...yes, the good old days...
Nostalgia? Not as good as it used to be.

goatty says...
9:37am Mon 11 Mar 13

Quick one flake of snow. Heard that the roads are jammed full of mummsies running to the schools to collect kids as fearing another ice age.

mysticalshoelace says...
9:55am Mon 11 Mar 13

As suspected the usual hype about snow reveals a light dusting that looks more like frost.

BournemouthMum says...
9:58am Mon 11 Mar 13

My heating has decided to break down today of all days :( Brrrr...

sea poole says...
10:00am Mon 11 Mar 13

scrumpyjack -Brilliant!

sea poole says...
10:02am Mon 11 Mar 13

upyourpipe- Can almost hear your audible sigh of disappointment as your immediate prophesy of schools closed hasn't come to fruition. Guess there's nothing to write about then...?

John T says...
10:03am Mon 11 Mar 13

fletch for manager wrote:
Pathetic looks like someone's chucked icing sugar over the car!
And there is not even enough snow on the pier for a peer to write his yellow warning in the snow!

upyourpipe says...
10:29am Mon 11 Mar 13

sea poole wrote:
upyourpipe- Can almost hear your audible sigh of disappointment as your immediate prophesy of schools closed hasn't come to fruition. Guess there's nothing to write about then...?
I think you'll find I posed a question not a prophesy, learn the difference.

Ebb Tide says...
10:30am Mon 11 Mar 13

Are we learning how to cope with snow, like our Northern cousins ? Perhaps we need a stiffer test of our ability to 'keep calm and carry on' despite the odd 100mm of snow ? Maybe next year !

Afcbpete says...
10:33am Mon 11 Mar 13

upyourpipe wrote:
sea poole wrote:
upyourpipe -Didn't realise that the 'nanny state' was in force when schools closed on a regular basis pre WW2 due to snow, rain and village/community events...
Funny, I was of school age during the big freeze of 1963 and our school didn't close once, but then we were made of stronger fiber back then, not like the nanny state wossies of today.
We fought our way through 4 foot snow drifts to schools with roaring coal fires, now a half inch of snow closes the whole country, what a sorry state for a once great country.
I totally agree with you "upyourpipe", I've not read many of the posts I have to say, but I was surprised to see the little dears going to school this morning. Like you, I was at school in 1963, I think our school was closed for a couple of days due to burst pipes, but I remember a path dugout across the playground to get from one of the classes to the main school. I had to travel by bus, making 2 changes, I only mention that, because today, most kids wouldn't do that. People may not like to hear it, because often the truth hurts, but WE ARE a Nanny State!!!

Bournesouthmouth Downpokes says...
11:32am Mon 11 Mar 13

This is not to be taken lightly people. Severe wind chill out there right now and will get worse tonight. Dont get caught off guard. Very dangerous, get yr gas key charged and be safe! Check on loved ones and neighbours...

Bournesouthmouth Downpokes says...
12:25pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Weather app says -3C tonight but will FEEL LIKE -13C. Just tell us its going to be -13C, right?

radical says...
12:52pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Snow in March, who cares, get outside, build a snowman and have a snowball fight, we've been flooded all year, at least you can get out in snow and have some fun, too many miserable dicks on here.

andydixon says...
1:48pm Mon 11 Mar 13

What short memories we have. In 2009, Bournemouth had a good coverage of snow in April.

Bournesouthmouth Downpokes says...
2:44pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Andy that was a clean dry cold. Not much of a wind chill factor involved there. Today we have a killer arctic blast. Different type of cold.

ol'bag lady says...
3:55pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Upyerpipe - School age in 1963?
Not grown up much then.

Upyors'n'all.

Phixer says...
4:03pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Hessenford wrote:
Out of curiosity I have been trying to find out the actual numbers to compare school closures in 1963 compared to this year.
I have found a couple of references to this which were as follows, in 1963 approx 900 schools were shut across the U.K during the period from December 26th till March 23rd. Blizzards caused snowdrifts up to six metres deep, telephone lines were brought down and temperatures fell so low the sea froze over.
2013 over 10,000 schools were shut by snow only a couple of inches deep and lasting a couple of days, I would say that we have become a nation of health and safety fanatics instead of the bulldog breed we were once known for.
Think you've been looking in the wrong place. We didn't have 'metres' in 1963.

Phixer says...
4:05pm Mon 11 Mar 13

sea poole wrote:
Ah, how the nostalgia brings tears to eyes, thinking of the good old days...when schools never shut (not even on Sundays or Christmas Day), people battled through 50 ft snowdrifts and mother was still mangling the washing whilst digging coal out of the frozen ground...yes, the good old days...
How deep were the snow drifts? Maybe a stray zero in there somewhere.

I built an igloo in the garden 1963. Don't think we've come anywhere close to that since then.

oversixty says...
4:17pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Many seem to forget that the last serious snow we had resulted in schools closing for ONE day!
It seems the ones complaining were the parents who then had the responsibility of looking after their kids for that day!
If those kids had gone to school and got injured, no doubt they would be the ones to claim compensation!

upyourpipe says...
4:25pm Mon 11 Mar 13

ol'bag lady wrote:
Upyerpipe - School age in 1963?
Not grown up much then.

Upyors'n'all.
Shorten your name, get rid of the "lady"

ol'bag lady says...
5:43pm Mon 11 Mar 13

upyourpipe wrote:
ol'bag lady wrote:
Upyerpipe - School age in 1963?
Not grown up much then.

Upyors'n'all.
Shorten your name, get rid of the "lady"
Like I said - Not grown up much then.

MikeGB says...
6:15pm Mon 11 Mar 13

So, in summary, we had a bit of light snow today, and it was chilly. We also learned a bit about a few people who chose to spend their day making inane comments.

awsokend says...
6:45pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Just heard the weather forecast for tonight,

Another snowflake expected at 5 past nine.

portia6 says...
2:57am Tue 12 Mar 13

SeafaringMan wrote:
After all the miserable posts on this item I thought that it was time to introduce a nicer touch.
Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers - and their families.
Thanks SeafaringMan my son and his
lovely girlfriend sent me lovely flowers
courtesy of Interflora! Happy Mother's
Day to all and my mum, whom we lost
5 years ago.

portia6 says...
3:00am Tue 12 Mar 13

Oakdale12 wrote:
BBC say "Rain will readily turn to snow and will fall across many southern areas overnight, giving some accumulations. Drier elsewhere but with isolated snow showers. Bitterly cold with frost and ice."
Very accurate weather report Oakdale
12 lets hope the weekend improves!

elfinia says...
6:45pm Tue 12 Mar 13

Sorry guys, but upyourpipe is 100% correct about the 1962/63 Big Freeze. I lived in Higher Blandford Rd Broadstone. Broadstone county Primary School ( as it was named in those days ) in Dunyeats Rd was always open. Mr Smith , the Headmaster was a strict ex-army man. No slacking in the ranks !I used to walk over the railway bridge to school and back. Snow ploughs had shovelled the snow to the side of the road and there it stayed as kind of pack ice until around my birthday ( 10th March) when the Big Thaw finally started. We used to climb the ice mountains on our way back from school. It was truly freezing.
I lived with "The Millers" in a private childrens home , next to the dentist's. We had to play out, freezing or not. It seemed normal then but now I think the sixties and seventies must have been a mini ice age ! Anyhow, the big freeze ended and The Beatles brightened up our days.

lookingonthebrightside says...
12:22am Wed 13 Mar 13

I couldn't eat my pie on Monday as it was too snowy. Not best pleased. I didn't see that any schools closed, my son went as normal to his. Hope this helps.

The Timelord says...
9:17pm Thu 14 Mar 13

ol'bag lady wrote:
upyourpipe wrote:
ol'bag lady wrote:
Upyerpipe - School age in 1963?
Not grown up much then.

Upyors'n'all.
Shorten your name, get rid of the "lady"
Like I said - Not grown up much then.
hand bag waving again? S'now passe!

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