In October 2009 I commenced my commercial driving career at Graham’s Dairy (Glasgow) after passing my class 2 lorry test the previous April. My first winter and my first big test behind the wheel came fast with the ‘infamous’ winter of 2009-10. Frequent snowfall and persistently low temperatures were common with my lowest dash temperature reading of -16C whilst passing Hamilton on the M74. Incidentally a 1300 temperature of -11C was also witnessed near Happendon (Cairn Lodge) on early afternoon.

I’ve witnessed many a snowy, cold day and night between 2009 and 2020 along with plenty of mild, stormy winters including driving through ‘red warnings’ for wind and of course the ‘red warning’ for snow issued in late February 2018 for the ‘beast from the east’.

In July 2020 I moved to the Highlands.

Like my first winter driving lorries, my first winter residing in the Highlands would also prove to be a memorable one. Following a major sudden stratospheric warming in January, (last observed early February 2018) and heavy snowfall, the UK’s coldest night in over two decades hit.

The brief but extreme cold spell between 9-12th February 2021 came on the heels of the UK’s coldest January since 2010.

The first 13 days of February were among the UK’s coldest of the last 50 years.

Thanks to the presence of a Scandinavia high, east winds crossing the North Sea with origin extending all the way back to Russia brought frequent and heavy convective snowfall to eastern Scotland and England. The below radar nicely depicts the convective streamers produced by very cold air crossing relatively warm waters. (sea effect snow)

East Highland communities, particularly in Aberdeenshire became buried beneath record breaking snow depths.

Upwards of a foot even accumulated in areas down to sea level as seen in the below image from Invergordon along the Cromarty Firth.

The following day it was clue blue and a winter wonderland, helped by high pressure sliding in from the east. The stage was set.

Much of Scotland and the eastern side of England was blanketed by snow, producing the most effective reflector of incoming solar radiation.

Snow depth as of 1000 on February 10th.

As the cold high slide in, winds relaxed and environment was perfect for maximum radiational cooling, the first shot at -20 in over a decade!

While driving between Perth and Inverness quite late into the evening, the thermometer on my dash dipped to -16C near Dalwhinnie and Aviemore. This tied the lowest ‘dash temperature’ I had ever observed between 2009 and 2020.

When back at my depot in Evanton (Ross-shire) and temperature holding steady at -14C, I decided to drive up to Kinbrace in Sutherland where I knew there was a good chance of seeing -20 or colder. That proved to be a good call.

Even between Tain and Helmsdale, the thermometer was reading -12 to -15C, amazing considering the A9 hugs the coast, then once inland at Helmsdale and heading the single track road towards Kinbrace, the dash continued to cool, eventually reaching -20C on approach to the tiny settlement of Kinbrace.

Kinbrace would be the of 3 stations in Scotland to reach -20C since 2010 and I was there to feel every bit of the bite that -20C air had to offer.

The official low at Kinbrace was -21.3C, the site’s 4th lowest reading since opening in 1979. Incidentally, it was very close to it’s all-time record which is -21.9C.

Along with Kinbrace, sub -20C readings were also achieved at Balmoral and Braemar, Aberdeenshire. The record holder of Braemar, was coldest. With a minimum of -23C, this surpassed the bitter levels witnessed in both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 winters. It was the coldest for Scotland and UK since December 1995. This was also the UK’s lowest temperature recorded for February since 1955!

Altnaharra was close to being a 4th site to hit -20C with a minimum of -19.9C.

Even at my nearest official MO recording site at Tain (12 miles from home), the thermometer reached -17.2C, the site’s coldest February night on record and 2nd coldest only to -18.4C reached in December 1995. The site opened in 1994.

Some sites observed their coldest February night on record. In Lossiemouth, Moray it was their coldest February night in 69-years.

Daytime maximums were cold during this period with daytime maximums even down to Kent remaining below freezing. In central London, St James’s Park received a high of -0.1C. Wynch Cross, East Sussex never rose above -2.4C.

-20C becoming Rare

Extract from MO article.

The lowest temperature recorded in the UK is -27.2°C on 30 December 1995, at Altnaharra; and on 10 January 1982, at Braemar.