Blizzards
The first written record of heavy snow on Exmoor was in December 1320. This was from an inquest into the death of a Porlock girl who was buried in snow whilst trying to walk home from North Molton. There are many other more recent records and stories of people dying in snow up until the 1947 winter. Such occurrences were probably commonplace in the days before rescue services but were not well documented until the 19th century. The Victorians had a morbid fascination with disasters. Weather records began in the 17th century and, although they were mostly for South East England at first, one can get a feel for when the worst winters are likely to have been on Exmoor: generally in the middle of each century in terms of snow.
When people think of 'The Big One' in terms of winters, they think of 1947 or 1963 but what was probably the worst recorded winter was that of 1683-4. This winter was described by R.D. Blackmore, who gave it a whole chapter in his book 'Lorna Doone'. In those days there were no beech hedgebanks and Blackmore describes how difficult it was to recognise places under the snow. He said the whole landscape had been softened as if the hand of a woman had been upon it. Bad snows continued through the 1680s and 1690s.
1813-14 was one of the snowiest winters in the last 300 years, although 1947 was likely to have been snowier. Heavy snow fell for 2-3 days in early January and persisted until early February. By the end of the century heavy snowfalls were becoming less common, although a blizzard in March 1891 caused loss of life and much disruption on Exmoor. January 1881 was probably colder and windier but not quite as snowy. Two winters were noted for their early snow on the West Country moors: there was heavy snow in October 1880 and September 1917, when two inches fell across Exmoor. The heaviest snow recorded on Christmas Day was probably in 1927. There was a late blizzard in April 1922. Around Porlock it took a team of 30 men with a charabanc converted to a snowplough two weeks to clear the roads. The snow was packed so hard it bent their picks and shovels.Exmoor saw heavy snowfalls in the late 1930s and early 1940s. A famous fall came in January 1937 when a bus and its passengers were stranded for days at County Gate. In January 1940 there was heavy snow with drifts up to 20ft deep in lanes.
There was heavy snow in January 1945 but the most memorable winter for many people was 1946-47. Throughout southern England it was one of the snowiest winters to date, probably the worst since 1814. Up to 24 inches of snow fell locally on the 19th December. The main snow started late (28th January) and lasted for a long time, with snow falling somewhere in England every day until 17 March. The January blizzard saw 7 inches of snow in South West England generally and there were further blizzards on 23rd February and 4th March, when 5ft accumulated on the hills. What made things worse were the wartime rationing and lack of labour and snowploughs. The rationing meant that people could not stockpile food as they usually did for winter and there were heroic attempts by some people to deliver supplies. Roads on the moor were blocked for 13 weeks. As fast as they were cleared, drifts blocked them again. Workmen worked continuously day and night attempting to clear the same stretches. A third of all the sheep on the moor were lost.
1962-63 was a famous winter and the second worst on record. Mid November saw snow in the South West but the start of the bitter cold came on Boxing Day, when a belt of snow became almost stationary over Exmoor. The following day, snow lay at least 12 inches deep over the area. The main snow, however, did not arrive until 29th January. Somerset was the only county in England to be totally covered in snow. 160 of its villages were cut off. 20ft snow drifts were common and up to 30ft was found in places. Whole buildings were covered and it was common in conifer plantations for just the tops of trees to be left sticking out of the snow. The conditions were probably worse than in 1947 but there was more machinery to deal with them. So much salt was used that it had to be imported from Spain. Excavation machinery was brought to Exmoor from all over England. However, snow ploughs still got stuck or broke down and as soon as roads were cleared snow drifted over them again. A mile and a half section of the A39 at Lillycombe was buried to a depth of 20ft or more. The Army was brought in to help and RAF helicopters were in constant use, delivering food and medicines for humans and animals and taking the ill and injured to hospital. Many sheep were buried or starving and shepherds were airlifted to help. Many people took to skis to fetch supplies and horses were used to drag sledges. Moorland settlements like Withypool and Simonsbath were worst hit. On 5th February came a blizzard lasting 30 hours and all of the snow clearing work that had been done until then was obliterated. Indeed there were now drifts in places they had not been before. Conditions were so bad that all clearance work had to be halted. Helicopters later had to fly snowplough drivers and mechanics back to their abandoned machines.
In mid January 1978 4 inches of snow fell at once and 6ft drifts were common. Then on February 15-16th the South West had a blizzard with huge drifts. The last really severe, snowy winter, however,was the next one. In late December 1978 falls of 6-7 inches started it off and 18th-20th February saw drifts of 6-7 feet. Many places were cut off; Lynmouth until the 24th, and Hawkrdige remained cutoff until the 27th. Mid March had severe blizzards and drifting, commonly up to 15 feet on the moor. It was not as prolonged as the snows of 1947 and 1963 but for a while it lay as deep as any snow in living memory, particularly in coastal areas. Many buildings were surrounded by snow up to first floor level and there are stories of people climbing out of bedroom windows or having to make tunnels in the snow from their doorways to stables or shippons to feed their animals. On the high moor there were drifts over 30ft deep and many sheep died under them. The beech hedgebanks were partly designed to trap drifting snow but it is under them that the sheep shelter and are most likely to be buried. In such onditions the only way that farmers can reach their stock is by climbing along the hedges.
The hedgebanks pose another problem where they line narrow lanes. Snow collects in the lanes and there is nowhere for snowploughs to push it. In 1978 a snowplough was buried in the snow and men going to rescue the driver were themselves buried in an avalanche. The hedges shade the lanes and snow often remains there while it has melted in the fields on either side. In 1978 many lanes were blocked for 10 weeks.1981-82 was a bad winter, not as snowy generally. In mid December was a blizzard and severe gale with 12 inches of snow. Snow lay for three weeks in many places. In mid January, there was general snow, with a cover of 1-2 feet in parts. This was combined with extreme cold when the sea froze in harbours and there was the last great 'ammil' where ice coated everything to a considerable thickness and brought down power cables. Since then the winters have all been relatively mild but the weather seems to have become more erratic. In April 1986 17 days of snowfall were recorded at Exton, with snow lying on 5 days. It seems likely that there are always going to be occasions that are exceptions to the trends.