In the Central England Temperature (CET) record extending back to 1659, only the winters of 1683–1684 and 1739–1740 were colder than 1962–1963.

Significant snowfall occurred on the 26 and 27 December as the air mass moved south, the snow arriving in Shropshire around lunchtime on the 26th and parts of Southern England late that same day.

Snow drifted to more than 20 feet (6.1 m) deep in places, driven by gale force easterly winds, blocking roads and railways.

[16] In January 1963, the sea froze for one mile (1.6 km) from shore at Herne Bay, Kent.

[8] The upper reaches of the River Thames froze over,[15][19] although it did not freeze in Central London, partly due to the hot effluent from two thermal power stations, Battersea and Bankside.

On 20 January 283 workers had to be rescued by RAF helicopters from Fylingdales, where they had been snowbound for several days.

[8][20] The ice was thick enough in some places that people were skating on it,[8] and on 22 January a car was driven across the frozen Thames at Oxford.

Football matches in the English and Scottish leagues suffered because of the severe effects of the winter weather.

The Football League season was extended by four weeks from its original finishing date of 27 April.

There was no racing in England between 23 December and 7 March, although a meeting at Ayr in Scotland occurred on 5 January.

[24] The cold of the winter of 1962–1963 is referred to in Dream Academy's 1985 hit single "Life in a Northern Town".

[25] Actress Jenny Agutter, who plays Sister Julienne, wrote an article in The Times about her memories of the 1962–63 winter to coincide with the Christmas special.