Thirty years ago today Kent was covered in half a metre of snow as the worst wintry conditions in two decades hit the county.

The flakes began falling heavily on Sunday, January 11, 1987, and it snowed every day until January 14, leaving people across the county stranded in their homes, cars buried under blankets of the white stuff and businesses unable to open.

Children listened to the radio on Monday morning to find out if their school was one of 500 closed across the South East, hoping they would be free for snowball fights and building snowmen.

Homes were without electricity for days, main roads became impassable and train services were cancelled.

Met Office records show some of the heaviest snowfalls were in Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey on January 12 and this, combined with strong winds, led to drifts 6m deep.

Across the water at Southend the sea froze over.

The deepest snow in the south east was recorded in East Malling where it was 52cm deep – the greatest depth of level snow in the area for at least 40 years.

Temperatures remained largely below zero throughout the snowy period with some areas dropping to a chilly minus 14 degrees.

The snow only began to thaw properly on January 18.

Ray Morris, from Strood, was a field engineer working to restore electricity across the county when he became lost in a blizzard.

The 67-year-old, who has worked for UK Power Networks – Seeboard in 1987 – for 52 years, recalled: “The linesmen managed to get me up the top of Detling Hill in the Land Rover.

“The snow was almost as high as the windscreen. It was terrible, I’d never known anything like it.

“The equipment I needed to reach was within walking distance, but the snow was 4ft deep in places. I started walking but the snow was blowing all around me, my tracks were covered and I became disorientated.

“I was lost for about an hour and a half, which was frightening.

“I eventually found my way back by recognising the shape of the trees I noticed when I left the Land Rover.”

Faversham became one of three places in Britain to have 15 consecutive days without seeing any sunshine, from January 13 to 28, which was a new record.

The winter weather hit east Kent with a vengeance, causing problems for motorists and bus and train passengers.

The Mercury reported that some schools were closed and many events and regular meetings were cancelled.

Despite preparations being made by the county council and gritting lorries going out in force, traffic was forced to move very slowly on most of the main roads, but they were passable.

The Mercury’s front page on January 15 said: “The strong winds caused some drifting along the Ringwould Straight on the Deal to Dover Road and there were problems on some stretches of the Dover to Sandwich Road, particularly between Eythorne and Eastry.”

Among the schools closed were Sir Roger Manwood’s, Ringwould Primary, Castlemount Secondary (except for exam candidates) and Aycliffe Primary. School buses were cancelled, hitting Deal youngsters attending schools in Dover.

Some shelves were bare with restricted deliveries of bread, milk and newspapers.
Police advised people not to venture out, amid further snow warnings.

For up to date advice on managing in the snow, click here.