Photographs, letters and notes preserve the memory of storms, snow and other weather events in Vierville. The numerical observations and comments are those of the old sources of the fund.
Climate
The climate is of the oceanic type, characterized by the fairly high frequency of precipitation, the low seasonal amplitudes and the mildness of temperatures.
Precipitation is between 700 and 800 mm. See opposite. This volume of precipitation is fairly well distributed throughout the year; however, there is a maximum in autumn (November - December) and a minimum in summer (August).
Storms: a hard-to-predict hazards
A storm is born from the evolution of an atmospheric disturbance or depression, where two air masses with very distinct characteristics (temperature, humidity, etc.) confront each other. This confrontation generates a very high pressure gradient, causing strong winds and most often intense precipitation (rain...).
We speak of storms when winds exceed 89 km/h (Cf. Beaufort scale).
Beaufort's scale (source Météomaxx)
To these "classic" storms, we must add tornadoes, isolated stormy phenomena or resulting from larger-scale disturbances. They are particularly devastating despite their punctual nature in time and space. Several of them affect Europe every year, with a heavy human and financial balance.
This kind of event is common in Lower Normandy as well as the whole of Northern Europe.
Some areas such as the coast are particularly subject to strong winds, but the risk does not spare other parts of the territory.
Vigilance and precautions
Only weather forecasts make it possible to anticipate the risk and take precautionary measures: bring in all objects or animals that may be taken away, close doors, windows, move away from the seashore... Météo-France updates online, twice a day, a vigilance map to inform the French and the public authorities about the dangerous weather phenomena foreseeable within 24 hours. Each department is thus colored in green, yellow, orange or red depending on the weather situation and the necessary level of vigilance. Orange corresponds to dangerous phenomena of high intensity; red to phenomena of exceptional intensity. The legend specifies the type of phenomenon expected: strong wind, heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, snow/ice, avalanches, heat waves and is accompanied by a follow-up bulletin (possible consequences, behavioral advice...).
Below, a NO storm in 2004, by the sea:
The last significant event was the storm of December 26, 1999 which affected a large part of France and whose probability of occurrence was estimated at 0.2% (I.e. probability 1 time in 500 years?).
Beaufort scale of wind effects
Hail in Vierville?
A very exceptional hailstorm occurred on June 12, 1964.
It was the subject of assistance from the General Council for "the most experienced small owners of the cantons of Balleroy, Isigny and Trévières", see letter from the Prefect dated January 6, 1965.
A slate from the Prieuré farm in St-Laurent was preserved from this event, pierced with a 60x50 mm hole. 'Hailstones of this size have sometimes been kept for a few months in domestic freezers.
Snow in Vierville?
It happens, but some years escape it. It rarely lasts a long time. Here are 2 cases, January 1940 and January 1, 1997, but these are far from being exceptions.
A usually mild climate does not prevent snow episodes of several days every few years.
And here is a very recent case, on December 3, 2010, 60 cm of snow fell by the sea, never seen in human memory in Vierville. Fortunately, this did not last, the mild one manifested itself on December 4th.
And here is an older case, but which lasted several weeks in January 1940, and which I believe has not been reviewed.
And who knows for next year? With what we are told about global warming...
Here is what my grandmother (Marguerite Hausermann wrote at the Château de Vierville) on9 January 1940 (excerpts):
.... We were cold and this unleashed a disaster in the attic, where the water pipe punctured, flooding the Bishop's room and the small living room below.
Then the Wednesday, January 17, 1940
"I'm afraid this letter won't leave tonight for Paris,... we woke up this morning in a snowy landscape, we can no longer see the top of the lawns, it's telling you if there are any......... I see here all the Parisians who stayed for the winter warmly dressed in wool, almost all the women with pajama pants or skis tight to the ankle on huge shoes with strong soles, on the head a small wool or waxed canvas cap depending on the weather. I have made several of these for good old women from our village who are delighted to have a hot head."
Then the 23 January 1940
.. we are pretty much stuck by snow since I wrote to you last week. The mail arrives when it can and leaves the same, the buses have been stopped for 2 days, it is said that the snow is almost a m. high on the road to Bayeux, and it hardly surprises me to judge because we have around here. We were deprived of electricity and almost cornered to starvation if our personal reserves had not allowed us to feed our table.... The landscape was sinister on the side of the sea violently shaken by a strong wind of NE.... No way to pull out a salad or a leek, and our cuttings, despite the fire maintained night and day, almost spent a bad ¼ of an hour in the greenhouse of which we could no longer open the door sealed by the frost....we had -9°.
..... In the occupied rooms, we were able to maintain a sufficient temperature thanks to the tons of wood that we put in the oven and the salamander that eats my anthracite. I had a wood stove installed in R's room. ......
.....thinking of our little soldiers who are on guard with -25 and -28° cold. This is what H.A.. accuses us, which fortunately supports this without discomfort. It looks a lot like the winter of 1917 which resembled that of 1870....
.... I haven't seen anyone from the Parmentier who must be even more stuck than me at sea.
And again the 30 January 1940 extracts:
"... Finally 2 days ago the beautiful(!) Snow (leaked) that blocked us like in a hole..... I really congratulate myself to have a salamander in the small dining room, without it we would not spread. So we watch the rain fall with satisfaction, your sisters despite their 4 stoves and the stove could not feel a little lukewarmness, and poor Suzon had her fingers swollen with frostbite.
.... Here our life resumes its regular march; the mail, the butcher, the fish, the suppliers and the buses work...... it was a problem to make a menu; our vegetables under 30cm of snow do not seem to have suffered too much, but the hungry hares are thrown on our salads.
... I had sent a note to Mrs. Godard that I always knew in her hermitage - that you know - in the middle of the woods. She answers me that they had to eat pasta, potatoes and onions for several days, of which she fortunately had some reserves; everything is fine with her, including one of her sons-in-law who has not left the front since September."
The beach and road covered with snow on January 1, 1997. It took less than 24 hours. In other circumstances it lasted several weeks on this same road
Wind statistics:
