The early morning scene in Dawes Avenue, East Worthing, on December 18, 2009, as a motorist made a comical start on clearing his car of snow. Picture: Stephen Goodger W51041H9The early morning scene in Dawes Avenue, East Worthing, on December 18, 2009, as a motorist made a comical start on clearing his car of snow. Picture: Stephen Goodger W51041H9
The early morning scene in Dawes Avenue, East Worthing, on December 18, 2009, as a motorist made a comical start on clearing his car of snow. Picture: Stephen Goodger W51041H9

Snow in Worthing: This is the year Worthing was buried under four inches of snow after an overnight blizzard

Worthing became a winter wonderland in December 2009 when a blizzard left the town under four inches of snow.

Snowmen popped up all over town on Friday, December 18, 2009, and children had find building a giant snowball in South Street, Worthing. There was also plenty of sledging at The Gallops in Findon Valley after the heavy snowfall overnight on the Thursday.

Unfortunately, the aftermath turned the town centre into what was described as ‘an icy death trap’ and Worthing Hospital’s A&E department treated more than eight times the normal amount of broken bones over the weekend of December 19 and 20, 2009, as shoppers slipped and fell on the dangerous ice.

In Tarring, artist Dan Thompson inspired a community de-icing of the railway footbridge known as Jacob’s Ladder, from Tarring Road over to Becket Road, after discovering the hard way how icy it was. Returning home on the Saturday night, he slipped and fell down the steps, so he invited volunteers to help him clear the bridge of the dangerous ice the following morning.