Buchan Spells

Weather Information

Buchan's 'warm' and 'cold' spells

If you live in the UK, have you noticed how, no matter how joyfully you banish Winter and welcome Spring at Imbolc, 1st February, there is often a cold spell, sometimes with snow, just after it?

The days between Feb 7th and 14th are usually colder than normal for the year. This period is known as Buchan's First Cold Spell. Alexander Buchan observed the weather patterns for about fifty years prior to 1900, and found that there were six periods in the year when lower than normal temperatures could be expected, and "also" three periods where the weather would be "higher" than normal. The other dates are thus:

• 1st Cold Spell, Feb 7th and 14th
• 2nd Cold Spell, 11th - 14th April, often called 'Blackthorn Winter'
• 3rd Cold Spell, 9th - 14th May
• 4th Cold Spell, 29th June - 4th July
• 5th Cold Spell, 6th - 11th August
• 6th Cold Spell, 6th - 13th November

and his warm spells

• 1st Warm Spell, 12th - 15th July
• 2nd Warm Spell, 12th - 15th August
• 3rd Warm Spell, 3rd - 14th December

See if he is correct this year.

Original article by John Harper for Diarmid's Observatory