snow on the Isle of Skye
Generally cold weather persisted for the first 10 days, especially in the north and east, but milder conditions had spread to all areas by mid-month when it became windy and wet at times. The weather was mainly settled but somewhat colder in the last 10 days, with little further rainfall but plenty of cloud. The mean temperature for the month was slightly below the 1971–2000 average. Rainfall ranged from more than 25% below normal in much of Highland, Aberdeenshire and the Northern Isles to close to average in the Borders. Sunshine totals were mostly above normal, particularly towards the west and north.
Mostly cloudy on 1st, with some wintry showers in far north and north-east. Mainly dry but cold and mostly cloudy on 2nd, again with wintry showers in the north and north-east. Rain and sleet spread eastwards on 3rd with snow over higher parts of Strathclyde, and Dumfries and Galloway. Less cold on 4th with showers in west, becoming heavy and prolonged and extending to most places during the afternoon and evening. The rain soon died out followed by widespread ice in the south at first on 5th, then mainly cloudy with wintry showers mainly in the north. On 6th early wintry showers cleared the south to leave a sunny day. Snow showers were frequent in the north-west and far north on 6th and 7th, with heavy falls for Shetland and Lewis. Sleet and snow spread northwards across many areas overnight, with 8 cm recorded at Gogarbank (Edinburgh). Temperatures fell to -13.0 °C at Altnaharra (Highland) early on 8th. There were further snow showers on 8th, especially in Fife and Tayside later. A mainly dry and bright day on 9th before rain and snow moved into the north-west. The 10th was mostly cloudy with outbreaks of rain and hill snow. Temperatures were close to freezing in the north, but reached 8 °C around the Solway Firth.
Rain and hill snow early and late on 11th, otherwise it was mainly dry and bright. Occasionally heavy rain, with mainly hill snow, on morning of 12th, cleared in afternoon as milder air moved into the south and west, but mist and fog developed. Outbreaks of heavy rain spread north-eastwards early on 13th, falling onto frozen ground in the north, before clearing to leave occasional showers in the west but sunshine in the south and east. Further heavy rain early on 14th cleared to leave sunny spells and showers, these heaviest and most frequent in the west. The 15th was windy with outbreaks of heavy rain, but drier across the far north and north-east. The rain cleared southwards early on 16th then bright with showers in north and west but still generally mild, reaching 12.8 °C at Machrihanish (Argyll and Bute). Mainly dry and bright in the south and east on 17th and 18th, Showers in the north and west, some heavy with hail and snow over the hills.
Showers at first in the north on 19th, otherwise dry with bright or sunny spells. Dry and bright on the 20th with local freezing fog patches lingering throughout the day across central and southern Scotland. Mainly dry on 21st and 22nd with persistent fog in a few places. The 23rd turned cloudy and rain affected the north-west. It remained mostly cloudy on 24th with some rain, this heavy and persistent at times over the north-west Highlands. The 25th was another rather cloudy day with some rain, but mainly dry in the south and temperatures reached 10 °C. The period from 26th to the end of the month saw generally dry but cloudy conditions, with some patchy rain at times mainly in the north and west.
