THE persistent icy conditions over the last three months made this winter the coldest for 30 years but, except for those over high ground, we were let off relatively kindly, especially during February.

Winds were mostly light, so snow did not drift and, had it been just a degree cooler, the frequent sleet would have fallen as snow.

Sceptics have seized on this season to dismiss global warming but, without it, this could have been a winter like 1962-63. Also, the below average temperatures have only affected a few parts of the world. Indeed, January over the Northern Hemisphere might still have been one of the mildest on record.

Up in the Dales, the season’s rainfall was slightly less than normal but, towards the east, it added up to one-and-a-half times the usual ration and here the winter was the wettest for nearly 20 years. This pattern was more marked during February, with the range from threequarters to double the mean. At Whitby, it was the wettest February since 1958.

There were no particularly large daily totals so, as in other recent months, it was a case of little but often. Remarkably, for some places there were no completely dry days. This was true at Carlton, near Stokesley, where we’ve had barely six in the past four months – an incredibly damp spell.

Last month was about 2C (4F) below par and widely the most bitter February since 1986.

For a few spots well in land, two in the early 1990s were just as chilly. None were anywhere near February 1986, a staggering 3C (5.5F) colder.

Unlike in December and January, February’s temperatures were fairly steady throughout the month. Only on a day or two did they manage to achieve expected levels but, then again, the lowest were far from being as severe as around the turn of the year or even in February 2009. In addition, there was more frost and snow in other recent Februarys.

A cold air mass continued to sit over us during the month, replenished occasionally from either the east or north. Warmer air tried to advance from the west a couple of times, but was soon repelled.

The main track of Atlantic depressions, as for much of the winter, remained well to the south of Britain instead of lying between Scotland and Iceland. This was the cause of repeated bad weather in the Mediterranean and the devastating floods that hit Madeira.

One intense low swung north-east across Biscay on Sunday the 28th on its way to the Baltic. Winds around it reached hurricane force, resulting in havoc and many deaths.

February’s figures at Carlton in Cleveland: Mean Maximum: 4.3C, 39.5F (2.9C, 5F); Mean Minimum: 0.6C, 31F (1.9C, 3.5F); Highest Maximum: 6.8C, 44F, 25th; Lowest Minimum: 4.3C, 24.5F, 11th; Total Rainfall: 67mm, 2.65ins (+16mm, 0.6ins); Wettest Day: 14mm, 0.55ins, 26th and No. of Rain Days, with 0.2mm (0.01ins) or more: 21 (+7). (Figures in brackets show the difference from the 26-year mean, 1984-2009)