Linear snowfall trails during freezing fog in South East England, 23 January 2023: evidence for anthropogenic snowfall

Abstract Anthropogenic (industrial) snowfalls in the UK have hitherto been regarded as rare and extremely localised. This article analyses the distribution and possible causes of three ‘stripes’ of anthropogenic snow extending up to 10 km from the vicinity of London’s Heathrow airport on 23 January 2023. The early morning had been exceptionally cold at the airport, partly due to the relatively late arrival of freezing fog compared to other parts of the lower Thames valley. This is likely to have facilitated the formation of the snowfall by means of ice nuclei.