A look back at the legendary 'big freeze' of 1962-63, when Merseyside was brought to a standstill by heavy snow and freezing temperatures for over two months. The text details the impact of the severe weather on daily life, transportation, and even the sporting calendar.
This week, Merseyside has been in the grip of an Arctic blast, with plunging temperatures bringing heavy snow and biting cold winds . Many of us will have struggled to get to work or school this morning as snow and ice caused the road network to seize up, causing delays and disruption. If you think things are bad now though, spare a thought for the poor souls who lived through the legendary ' big freeze ' of 1962-63.
That winter, Merseyside was brought to a standstill for more than two months as deep snow blanketed the country. Snow started to fall on Boxing Day 1962 and the cold spell didn't let up until early March 1963. For 62 consecutive days, snow was on the ground, with the average temperature -2.1 degrees Celsius. At the time, most homes didn't have central heating, and some only had outdoor toilets. Roads were impassable, cars and vehicles were left stranded, towns and villages were cut off, and railways were out of action as a result of the snow, which was reported to be around 20ft deep in some places. At one point, it was so cold that the sea at Southport froze over. Mini icebergs appeared across Merseyside, and park lakes were covered in ice. Vegetable prices shot up by as much as 30% as crops froze in the ground. Pneumatic drills were reportedly used to dig up potatoes and carrots. In rural areas, snowploughs were needed to clear the snow and allow access to towns and villages because the snow was higher than hedges in places. Whilst the nation was frozen, the sporting calendar was upended as well. The FA Cup third round was scheduled for Saturday 5th of January, but took 66 days to complete. Some matches in the FA Cup were rescheduled ten or more times. Everton had acquired under-pitch heating in 1958, so were able to play their FA Cup tie against Barnsley on January 15, 1963, a game which they won 3-0. The match was still played in thick snow. Everton went on to beat Swindon easily in the next round before going out in the fifth round to West Ha
Merseyside Big Freeze 1962-63 Snow Winter Transportation Sports FA Cup Everton
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