The month began mild and windy with a deep low to the west of Ireland and a strong SE’ly airflow across the Northern Isles. As the low drifted northwards, winds increased to near gale force for a time before easing and veering SW’ly later as the low continued northwards and filled.

After the 6^th, as a complex area of low pressure transferred north-east across England, moderate N to NE’ly winds set in over northeast Scotland bringing colder conditions and wintry showers – leading to a thin snow cover by the morning of the 10^th.

By the 11^th a deep Atlantic low, moving north-east towards south-west Iceland, was pushing fronts east across Shetland and bringing milder SW’ly winds to the area. The next couple of days saw gale to severe SE’ly gales as the progress eastwards of Atlantic frontal troughs was blocked by high pressure developing over Scandinavia. The frontal troughs cleared east early on the 13^th, the wind veering SW’ly and easing.

SW’ly winds then increased, with severe gales for the south-west and west of Scotland, as a deep and vigorous Atlantic low, moving northeast towards Faeroe, drove its warm front east across the country. By midday on the 15^th, the low had deepened to 926 mb with S’ly winds increasing to gale force across the Northern Isles ahead of the warm front.

As the filling low moved away to become slow-moving close to east Iceland on the 16^th, a strong to gale force showery SW’ly airflow brought heavy showers of hail and sleet. S to SW’ly gales persisted through to the 18^th, when a weak ridge of high pressure brought a brief respite with moderate W’ly winds.

Another Atlantic low, tracking northeast, brought SW’ly gales, these easing and veering W’ly by the 21^st as the low moved away into the Norwegian Sea. A small wave low running north-east along a slow-moving occlusion resulted in a wet day on the 24^th.

On the 25^th, as a shallow low moved east across the UK and on into southern Scandinavia, a cooler NE’ly airflow was introduced across Scotland for the next few days.