It’s coastal proximity means our town swerves the worst of heavy snowfall but that hasn’t always been the case. Looking back through the archives, the notorious winter of 1963 was the year which saw massive snow drifts and the rare event of the sea freezing over off the Fylde Coast. The winter of 1947 was described as being the hardest in living memory and in more recent times, the winter of 2009-2010 was recognised as being the coldest in decades. Other notable times were 1981 and the mid 1950s. The photos are fascinating, particularly the ones from the 1940s which show incredible depths of snow and people having to dig their way out.



21. Retro snow scenes
Dandy, one of the reindeer at Blackpool Zoo, enjoyed a stroll in the snow with Senior Keeper Ian Winward in 2000 Photo: Rob Lock



24. Retro snow scenes
The remaining drifts of snow are cleared away from the surrounding track at Blackpool FC and groundsman Cyril Robinson gives the grass a trim at Bloomfield Road, in readiness for the return of soccer in 1981 Photo: Historical