THE north wind doth blow - and we did have snow in Teignbridge, with January 1985 proving to be exceptional when it came to the white stuff.

The normally mild climate of the district found itself turning Siberian in mid-January of that year when a polar vortex split at the beginning of the month, setting it up to be among the coldest of the 20th century.

There were sporadic snow showers from the beginning of the month but by mid-January, when Mid-Devon Advertiser photographers captured these images, a whole swathe of the country from East Anglia down to Devon was suffering from snowstorms and penetrating frosts.

The milder climes of Teignmouth’s sea front didn’t escape the chill with several inches of the white stuff on the prom.
The milder climes of Teignmouth’s sea front didn’t escape the chill with several inches of the white stuff on the prom. (MDA Archive )
Traffic edges its way down the snowy slopes of Exeter Road in Teignmouth.
Traffic edges its way down the snowy slopes of Exeter Road in Teignmouth. (MDA Archive)
Of course the arctic blast wasn’t all bad news as ad hoc Cresta Runs were formed on slopes across Teignbridge .
Of course the arctic blast wasn’t all bad news as ad hoc Cresta Runs were formed on slopes across Teignbridge . (MDA Archive)
Fun in the snow for some.
Fun in the snow for some. (MDA Archive)
Snow sculpture in Ipplepen created by Greme Burford and Philip Maunder.
Snow sculpture in Ipplepen created by Greme Burford and Philip Maunder. (MDA Archive)