UK Sees Coldest Spring in 50 Years

Much of the United States has experienced a chilly spring (until recently anyway), and parts of Europe have faired no better. In fact, the United Kingdom will soon have had its coldest spring in more than 50 years, the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang blog writes.

Temperatures in the UK this spring have averaged around 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 degrees Fahrenheit), the fifth coldest spring on record since 1910, the Capital Weather Gang blog quotes the U.K. Met Office as saying. Those temperatures stand in stark contrast to recent springs, which have mostly seen above-average temperatures.

Weather patterns bringing winds from the pole and parts of northern Europe have brought the cold temperatures into the area, sometimes even dipping down into France and other parts of Europe. A recent cold spell even brought fresh snow to the French Pyrénées, with one local ski resort re-opening after closing in April. That's the first time a French ski resort has opened in June, the blog quotes a local website as saying. Quelle surprise!

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Andrea Thompson is an associate editor at Scientific American, where she covers sustainability, energy and the environment. Prior to that, she was a senior writer covering climate science at Climate Central and a reporter and editor at Live Science, where she primarily covered Earth science and the environment. She holds a graduate degree in science health and environmental reporting from New York University, as well as a bachelor of science and and masters of science in atmospheric chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.