<P> In February 1963, more snow came . It was also stormy with winds reaching Force 8 on the Beaufort scale (gale - force winds). </P> <P> A 36 - hour blizzard caused heavy drifting snow in most parts of the country . Drifts reached 20 foot in some areas and there were gale - force winds reaching up to 81 mph . On the Isle of Man, wind speeds were recorded at 119 mph . </P> <P> The thaw set in during early March; 6 March was the first morning of the year without any frost anywhere in Britain . The temperatures soon soared to 17 ° C (62.6 ° F) and the remaining snow rapidly disappeared . </P> <P> One of the most noticeable consequences of the freezing conditions which hit the UK in the winter of 1962 / 63 was the enormous disruption to the national sporting calendar . For many weeks football matches in both the English and Scottish leagues suffered because of the severe effects of the winter weather . Several ties in the 1962--63 FA Cup were rescheduled ten or more times, to the point that the 5th and 6th rounds originally scheduled for 16 February and 9 March respectively, were finally played on 16 March and 30 March respectively, with the semi-finals rescheduled from 30 March to 27 April . A board known as the Pools Panel was set up; postponed matches were adjudicated by it, to provide the football pool results . From 8 December to 16 February, Bolton Wanderers played no competitive matches . Both codes of rugby, union and league, suffered much the same fate . All this occurred in the days well before under - soil heating became widespread at major venues . When the thaw arrived, a huge backlog of fixtures had to be hastily dealt with . The Football League season was extended by four weeks from its original finishing point of 27 April, with the final league fixtures (scheduled sports events) taking place one day before the rescheduled FA Cup Final . Some lower - level competitions did not complete their season at all . </P>

How long did the freeze of 1963 last