Nick Maclaren wrote:
Not really. While it has been dry, it has been cold only by the
standards of the past 10 years - which have been unusually warm.
Up to about a decade ago, it was usually MUCH colder at least once
in January.

Glad you think that too. I can remember the early 80s here in Manc
being -5 for weeks in February and not being able to sleep for the heat
in May of the same decade. There will inevitably be differences of
temperatures between years, even decades, but I think comparing one 6th
of Feb with another 6th of Feb two years later and stating it's colder
than a decade ago gets me a bit mad.