But these photos, capturing striking scenes during some of the UK’s most extreme winters ever, show it could have been much worse.
This retro photo gallery will bring back memories for anyone who shivered through the bitter cold in 1946, 1963 or 1982.
These remarkable images show steepling snowdrifts and frozen waterfalls as Arctic conditions transform the landscape into a beautiful yet brutal winter wonderland.
They also capture communities pulling together, whether that’s strangers giving a stranded motorist a push, people grabbing a shovel and clearing the streets or a resourceful milkman ensuring customers don’t go without.
From children skating and sledging to a dog bounding through the snow, they also depict joyous scenes amid the freezing cold.
As we wait to see what this winter brings, why not snuggle up warm and enjoy these extraordinary images from years gone by.
If you enoyed this trip down memory lane, you might like our photo gallery looking back at the best of the 60s.
19. Taking a tumble
Youngsters on the ice at Harlescott, Shrewsbury in December 1961 | Express & Star Photo: Bob Craig
20. Snow plough
A 10-ton snow plough carves its way through drifts on the Reeth Brough Road that have been cut up into large blocks by workmen, scattering them like toy bricks, in January 1963 | YPN
21. Clearing the pitch
A snow blower at Sunderland's Roker Park football ground in January 1982 | Sunderland Echo
22. Skating
Elmslie Girls School pupils ice skating on Stanley Park Lake, Blackpool, in 1946 | National World
23. The best way to travel
Margery Holmes leaves her pram at home and walks to the shops using a sledge to transport 17-month-old Neil in January 1982 | Shields Gazette
24. Trudging to school
While most schools were closed for a day or two, these hardy pupils were determined to get through the heavy snow in Fairhaven in 1982 | Submitted