Feeling warm? Well here’s a few photos of snow on the Isle of Wight in days gone by with snippets from the County Press archive to remind us what it feels like to be cold!

In 1958, Edwin Holbrook, wrote to the County Press with his recollections of life in and around Porchfield.

Scroll through the gallery of pictures above to see more...

Edwin said: “I remember the snowstorms in January 1881 when all roads were completely blocked with an average depth of six feet and drifts up to 15 or 20ft. When walking to work at Vittlefields Farm on the morning after the storm we got there by walking over the covered hedges."

Things weren’t much better in 1947. It had been the coldest February on record with temperatures as low as -21°C.

Isle of Wight County Press: Sheet ice on Causeway Lake, photographed from Newtown Bridge, 1980 © Alan Stroud/County Press.Sheet ice on Causeway Lake, photographed from Newtown Bridge, 1980 © Alan Stroud/County Press.

In March, the County Press reported:  ‘Icebergs In Bembridge Harbour.' 

"For the previous fortnight small vessels and ships on their moorings at St. Helens Quay have been hemmed in by ice.

"At St. Helens the fresh water froze and large blocks of ice were seen floating on the sea. These collected until a field of some 20 acres was formed, and this eventually froze into a solid mass.

"Pieces broke away on Sunday, forming miniature icebergs, some of them 15 feet square and two feet high.”

In the last week of week of December 1962, the Isle of Wight was struck by another blizzard, which was followed by two months of snow and ice with temperatures of -15°C.

The County Press of January 5, 1963, reported: “A blizzard - one of the worst in living memory - struck the Island on Saturday night.

"Deep snowdrifts isolated some towns and villages for several days. Bus services were seriously affected. The going was particularly difficult in the Godshill district where giant drifts developed.

"Shortly before 8pm it was decided that all bus services should be suspended. Notices were flashed on Newport cinema screens and buses left Newport in an attempt to take passengers home but many of them were forced to turn back.

"The blizzard left fantastic snowdrifts, one extending from Brighstone to Shorwell, burying the road to a depth of 10 feet!”

Finally, snowstorms in 1891 brought the Isle of Wight to a halt. For some, opportunity knocked. “Messrs. Whittington and Harvey’s men were obliged to temporarily abandon a van in the snowdrifts at Nunnery Lane on Monday evening.

"The van was recovered on Thursday, but not so the beer which had formed a portion of the contents.”

Keep cool!

Like reading about the Isle of Wight and its characters in bygone days? Click here to visit our Looking Back section for more interesting tales!