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While reading an unrelated blog, I came across a blurb that "16 years of summer have been the longest summer on record" in "Game of Thrones" books. I realize from that discussion (without having read Martin's books) that the seasons in Westeros are variable length.
Since there was a recorded longest summer, I was curious, what is the longest winter on record based on the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books?
I would say that the longest winter was the one in the Longest Night period, in the age of heroes (from http://awoiaf.westeros.org):
In this time, night seems to last for a generation, and the longest, coldest and darkest winter descends on Westeros. The ice spreads down from the north, and under the cover of darkness, the Others invade Westeros from the uttermost north, marching, killing and raising up the dead to be their servants in unlife and nearly destroying all men in Westeros.
Unfortunately, it is not known the exact duration, as it was 8,000 years before the war of conquest (year 1).
I don't remember which book this was in, but i remember reading of a mention of a winter that last over 10 years. I believe it was mentioned by Old Nan.
In The World of Ice and Fire, it says The Long Night was:
A season of winter came that lasted a generation -- a generation in which children were born, grew into adulthood, and died without ever seeing the spring
Given that Robb claims he's "almost a man grown" in AGoT at age 15, we can surmise the long night was at least 16 years of winter, and arguably much more, since a generation isn't defined by it's average age of maturity. Because it says a generation, we can likely say it wasn't more than about 30 years (the next generation starting when this generation's kids of of age).
I think we can assume it was in the ballpark of 20 years, given the above.
