The very deep cold pool, and lake‐effect snowfalls of 27 February–1 March 2018

The very deep 1000‐500 hPa thickness cold pool which affected the UK and Ireland near the end of February 2018, advected the coldest air mass (in depth) into these islands since February 1991 (and the equal coldest since January 1987). This paper focuses on the first phase of the cold spell when snowfall was convective in origin. It was principally ‘Lake Effect’, i.e. associated with the inter‐action between deep, exceptionally cold air and relatively warm seas, enhanced and extended inland by coastal convergence and topography.The track of this cold pool was somewhat further north than in the record 1987 event with the heaviest snowfalls in 2018 occurring from around The Wash up to central Scotland. Infra‐red satellite image (V11RS1) for 0129 utc on 28 February 2018. (© University of Dundee 2018.)