Everyone tends to have a ‘worst snow’ memory – or best, depending on how you look at it – when the region was a whiteout.
Shared experiences and challenges faced during the depths of winter are hard to forget. A sudden downfall of snow that blanketed rooftops and built up into drifts was always exciting, especially if it had arrived overnight and surprised everyone the next morning when they awoke to an eerie silence and a view of their street now looking postcard pretty.
But that soon would be interrupted by the sound of scaping shovels as people set about clearing paths and digging out cars. Blocked roads, stuck traffic and public transport delays are of course a nightmare for those caught up in the chaos but others will remember snowstorms over the years for the fun they had in making snowman, sledging and being embroiled in snowball fights.
While we’ve certainly suffered freezing temperatures this week – which thankfully should be on the up a bit this weekend, although ice is still forcing some visitor attractions to close – it seems a long time since we had ‘real snow’. So, here is a reminder.
This pick of photos from the archives show how the region – from Newcastle to Northumberland and County Durham – has borne the brunt of some of the most dramatic weather of past years. Tuck up and look back at scenes set to spark an avalanche of memories while we journey again through blizzards and also picturesque scenes as people both tackled the challenges of the weather and made the most of it.